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After 4 years taking advantage of NYC restaurant week, here are my 7 best tips to get more out of it

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root and bone

I found out about New York City Restaurant Week when I was a sophomore in college. I was living in the city and my roommate and I decided to give it a try. 

NYC Restaurant Week happens twice a year; during the winter and the summer. This year, from July 25-August 19 (not technically a week), over 350 restaurants offer pre-fixe menus — $29 for lunch; $42 for dinner. The promotion allows diners to experience fine dining at a discounted price. 

As a college student and self-proclaimed foodie, I was excited by the prospect of experiencing upscale restaurants while not completely breaking the bank. 

Four years later and I treat restaurant week like it's a holiday. I've become so accustomed that I know exactly when it's happening and make plans in advance so I don't miss it. I went from dining at one or two restaurants to having a total of six reservations for NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2016.

I'd be lying if I said all of my restaurant week experiences were great. There have been instances were I've paid way more than expected or the food was not up to par. But there's a reason I never miss it.

Here are my tips for making the most of NYC Restaurant Week.

SEE ALSO: I've lived in New York City for 22 years, and here are my favorite places to eat for less than $20

Book reservations in advance

While reservations aren't needed, the more popular places book up quick. I suggest booking in advance — reservations open two weeks before it starts. If you sign up for the NYCgo.com newsletter, you will be alerted to the date reservations open. 



Score points on OpenTable

Calling to make a reservation is fine, but if you plan to become a restaurant week regular, I suggest starting an OpenTable account.

Not only do all the restaurants take reservations through the website, but you score 100 points for each restaurant where you dine. Once you hit 5,000 or 10,000 points, you can claim a $50 or $100 gift certificate. 



Watch out for supplement pricing

NYCgo has the majority of the restaurant week menus on the site. Check for supplement pricing — when restaurants tack a few extra dollars on the bill for a certain dish — because you can end up spending a lot more than anticipated.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Saying 2 words most of us overlook can save your tired relationship

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couple holding hands

My family often makes fun of me for being overly effusive in restaurants:

Oh, thank you so much for bringing the bread — we really appreciate it! Water? I love water! Thank you for being so kind!

Though no one in my family has ever said it explicitly, I imagine part of the reason they find it so hilarious is that I hardly ever show them so much gratitude.

Not even for oh, say, bringing me into this world and putting a roof over my head for 18 years.

So I had a quiet "aha!" moment while reading Janice Kaplan's "The Gratitude Diaries," in which she chronicles her yearlong effort to show more appreciation in different areas of her life.

Before writing "The Gratitude Diaries," Kaplan, a journalist who was formerly the editor of Parade magazine, helped conduct a survey on Americans' gratitude habits.

Results showed that 97% of respondents said they would express gratitude to a server in a nice restaurant (guilty as charged). But how many women said they regularly thanked their husbands? Just 48%.

In the book, Kaplan writes that she gets it — we have way higher expectations for our partners than we do for waiters. Beyond that, she suspects we also get so used to our partner being there for us that we generally forget to appreciate it.

Simply making the effort to say "thank you" can breathe new life into a tired relationship.

janice kaplanWhen she visited the Business Insider offices in August, Kaplan told us:

"When you're in a relationship, particularly for a long time, you kind of stop noticing somebody. Psychologists call it habituation."

"You get used to somebody. You stop realizing why you wanted to be there in the first place."

During the first month of her gratitude experiment, Kaplan focused on appreciating her husband.

She'd thank him for driving them home from a party or fixing a leaky faucet — and he'd be confused, because he always does those things.

"I know you do," Kaplan would tell him. "But I appreciate it."

As Business Insider's Erin Brodwin has reported, psychologists have known for a while that couples who express gratitude toward each other are more likely to stay together. In fact, thanking your partner even once can bring you two closer months later.

That's possibly because a single act of gratitude sparks a cycle of gratitude and generosity: You thank your partner, so your partner feels appreciated and invests more in the relationship, which in turn makes you feel more grateful to them.

The Gratitude DiariesPerhaps the part of "The Gratitude Diaries" that struck me most was a scene Kaplan describes in which her husband, a doctor, is rushing off in the middle of the night to treat a sick patient.

Typically, Kaplan writes, she'd be frustrated and angry that her husband was leaving at that hour. But during her gratitude experiment, she pushed herself to find the reason to be grateful.

So she told him:

"I was just thinking about how lucky your patient is to have you. She must feel so much better knowing you're on the way. The world needs more doctors like you. Thank you for being so special."

To me, this scene reflects how showing gratitude to the people we're closest to can take more effort than thanking the barista at Starbucks. It requires seeing the person in a new light — or simply seeing them at all.

But that effort can pay big dividends. Kaplan writes that her small acts of gratitude appeared to change her overall marriage for the better.

In the book she mentions one professor of marriage and family therapy who told her that every day he emails his wife thanking her for something. It doesn't have to be anything huge — thanking her for running errands when he was busy is fine.

The point is to make gratitude a habit so that, eventually, you don't have to think about it — it's just the default lens through which you see your partner's everyday behaviors.

SEE ALSO: 15 relationship facts everybody should know before getting married

Join the conversation about this story »

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This dentist office on wheels gives teeth cleanings and exams in Silicon Valley parking lots

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studio dental

Startup-life comes with some pretty sweet perks. There are the free lunches, shuttle buses, and branded t-shirts. A lucky few may even work in offices equipped with nap pods.

But only in Silicon Valley will a truck bring a dental office to tech companies' doors.

Studio Dental, founded in 2014, is the first dental office on wheels. The truck visits patients at work, making regular visits to tech companies like Google and Airbnb to provide employees services from teeth cleanings to wisdom teeth removals in the parking lot.

studio dental"Dentistry is in serious need of sprucing up — the industry is stigmatized as old, smelly, and often times scary," cofounder and dentist Sara Creighton told Rock Health in a 2014 interview.

Creighton, who built her first practice while still in dental school, set out to create a dental office that would actually entice people to come in for a check-up. She thought about how she could incorporate technology and smart design, and teamed up with cofounder Lowell Caulder, an investment banker and a Harvard Business School dropout, to bring her vision to life.

Studio Dental fits on a 26-foot-long trailer bed and includes a waiting area, a sterilization room, and two patient stations. Once you step inside, you forget almost immediately that you're in a truck. Cut-outs in the walls and wood cabinets create constellation-like patterns that draw the eyes upward — because really, don't you hate looking at a plain stucco ceiling while you sit in a dental chair?

Televisions that stream Netflix also hang overhead.

studio dental

The office may appeal to techies more than traditional dental offices, though it isn't just for people who work in tech — patients book appointments online, receive email receipts after their visit, and view digital X-rays and impressions on the website.

According to the website, the company's prices are in the 80th percentile of Bay Area dental practices. It accepts PPO plans from most insurance providers.

Studio Dental has over 25 corporate clients, including well-known tech companies Bot & Dolly, Dropbox, Jawbone, Twitter, and Square. CNN Money reported in 2015 that the business made about $1 million in its first year.

studio dental

Crighton told Fast Company in 2015 that she hopes to add more trucks, more dentists, and more cities. Patients may some day be able to track a truck's location and book appointments through an app — "like an Uber almost, so you can see which truck is near you," Creighton said.

The "uberification" of dental care is officially here.

SEE ALSO: 13 things that only happen in Silicon Valley

Join the conversation about this story »

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The 30 most expensive colleges to live near

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seattle washington pike place market

There's no way around it: College is expensive. Not only do tuition prices continue to rise, but location can skew the final price tag as well, especially for students who want to live close to campus.

HomeUnion, an online residential real estate investment management firm, compiled a list of the colleges with the most expensive off-campus housing. The site compared the median rent within a two-mile radius of the university's campus to the market-rate rent for the larger metro area to find which schools have inflated rent costs near campus. 

Universities in California — Los Angeles-based UCLA and Stanford, located on the outskirts of San Jose in Silicon Valley — earned the top two spots, with students paying more than 50% the market rate to live close to campus. Though notorious for its high cost of living, New York City landed at No. 10 on the list, likely due to the fact that prices remain high throughout the city and don't necessarily spike close to New York University's campus.

Read on to see the full list of the most expensive colleges to live near. 

SEE ALSO: The 30 best college towns in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 best law schools in America

30. University of Michigan

Metro area: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Median rent near campus: $1,964

Market-rate rent: $1,793

Percent above market: 9%



28. (TIE) Clemson University

Metro area: Greenville, South Carolina

Median rent near campus: $1,288

Market-rate rent: $1,158

Percent above market: 11%



28. (TIE) University of Wisconsin at Madison

Metro area: Madison, Wisconsin

Median rent near campus: $1,794

Market-rate rent: $1,611

Percent above market: 11%



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

5 things anyone training for an endurance race should be sure to do

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cyclist in ironman biking

We're coming to the end of summer, which means Labor Day is just around the corner. It's no surprise then that tons of people are still hitting the gym more than usual to make sure their beach body is ready.

But for the more competitive athletes, this gym time isn’t only to cut a few pounds.

The start of summer was also the official start of most training seasons, from football to Ironman triathlons, when most athletes are in the thick of training. While it’s easy to get caught up in the hype of your upcoming athletic season, it’s important not to get too greedy for miles or repetitions.

While the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that adults get in around 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, people who are training for races like the Ironman or an ultra-marathon regularly go over that limit. And this can be dangerous.

Of course there are well known benefits of competition, too, like improved cardiovascular health and higher lung capacity. There is a fine line to walk to ensure you are on the healthy side of the sport.

Ironman triathletes (who swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and finish off with a marathon) train for a whopping 15 hours (that's 20 Netflix episodes!) per week. College athletes practice up to 40 hours a week.

With these grueling schedules, it's easy to see how injuries can happen. Several studies have found that ultra-endurance sports like distance running can cause muscle damage and inflammation.

So, to enjoy a safe training season and avoid injury, follow these tips:

1. Don't push yourself too far too soon

tired runnerYou have a human body. That means you have physical limitations. Pushing past your comfort zone is okay in moderation, but going from running a couple miles to attempting marathon distance in a week can be dangerous. This could cause muscle tears and fatigue, setting you even further behind.

A 3-year study across 16 teams at a NCAA Division-1 university in the Big Ten Athletic Conference looked at 1,317 reported injuries and found that acute injuries, which typically happen as the result of a single traumatic event, like completely overdoing one workout, were much more common than overuse injuries, the type of injuries that typically happen when you don't give yourself time to recover. Follow your training plan and listen to your body.

2. Engage in positive self-talk

It may seem weird, but actually telling yourself you are capable of the challenge is more than half of the battle in triathlon training.

Richard M. Ryan, a professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology & Education at the Australian Catholic University and research professor in psychology at the University of Rochester in New York, co-developed and published research on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to show that athletes who tell themselves they can do something actually end up showing a lot more initiative and success in accomplishing their goals. Stress is a major cause of injury, and not having confidence in yourself and being nervous all the time lead to more tension in your body and the possibility of injury. Try taking three deep breaths and a minute to remind yourself of your ability before jumping into a daunting workout or race.

3. Stretch, stretch, stretch

Stretching pre- and post-workout helps keep muscles and tendons loose to aid in staving off possible tears and ruptures. This will also help improve your flexibility and range of motion, ideally making your workout more efficient and less painful afterwards.

4. Follow proper dietary guidelines

healthy food veggiesFollowing daily guidelines for your body on how much protein, fat, carbs, etc. to eat after a hard workout is important to ensure you're getting the proper nourishment.

Ironman has a carbohydrate and hydration nutrition guide to help keep you on the right track leading up to the big day. Men’s Health shows what to do about protein and how to proportion different items in your diet.

5. Don't wait until it's too late to take care of the problem

If you feel like something may be wrong, you may want to try the athlete handbook, RICE. This calls for rest, ice, compression and elevation (above the heart) to the affected region of your body. Also see your doctor as soon as possible if necessary. A trip to the hospital now is a lot less time consuming than multiple weeks off later due to lack of proper attention.

MORE: 12 ways Ironman training made this guy a better entrepreneur

UP NEXT: Less sports training tied to groin injury

Join the conversation about this story »

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This woman was shocked by how differently she was treated when she wore a veil — so she opened a library

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arizza nocum

Arizza Nocum's upbringing was markedly different from your average Filipino.

Nocum, 21, is the daughter of a Catholic father and Muslim mother. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, with around 83% of the population ascribing to themselves to the religion in the 2000 census, while just 5% of Filipinos are Muslim.

Her parents' union was a "statement against what was happening around them," according to Nocum.

"Throughout our history, the dominance of the Catholic religion has sort of translated to oppression against the Muslim minority, so naturally there is a lot of tension and prejudice between Muslims and Catholics in my country," Nocum told Business Insider.

Nevertheless, Nocum was brought up to learn both religions. Her parents taught her both the Bible and the Quran. She dressed in casual clothes to attend mass with her father and wore the hijab while attending Muslim gatherings. Nocum was comfortable in her two identities, living "between the cross and the crescent moon."

But as she entered high school and college and began posting pictures of herself wearing the veil and without to Facebook, Nocum began receiving negative comments from friends, like: "I don't understand who you are."

arizza nocum"More than that, what really horrified me was when I was in my casual clothes, people treated me normally, but when I was wearing the veil and I was out with my mom, or just walking, people would treat me differently," Nocum said.

"There was a very real sense of fear and distrust because you don't see a lot of hijabis here in Manila. When I wear that, it automatically signals something that people actually associate Islam here with conflict and aggression," Nocum continued.

"I'm supposed to be the same person. I'm Arizza, but it's the way when I wear the clothing of one religion versus the other I'm treated completely differently.

"That's when I knew it wasn't healthy and something had to be done."

In 2008, the Nocums set up a library in Manicaha, Zamboanga. They named their nonprofit foundation "Kris Library," a portmanteau of Kristiyano and Islam. It is funded by companies and private individuals.

The idea was to create a buzzing community center in which Catholics and Muslims could interact together. Arizza became involved in 2011, helping set up five further libraries across the Philippines in just a year.



The majority of Kris Libraries are located in the Zamboanga region, in the southern-most area of the Philippines and close to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The threat of extremism in the largely impoverished region remains constant

There are several terrorist groups operating in the Philippines including the New People’s Army, the Abu Sayyaf Group, and Jemaah Islamiya. Foreign nationals and tourists have been kidnapped and even beheaded.

It was hoped a 2014 peace agreement would to bring a 40-year insurgency in the south of the country to a halt, but threats still remain from two insurgent groups, the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Two of the six Kris Libraries are located near alleged terrorist camps, which associate themselves with ISIS and attempt to recruit child soldiers, according to Nocum.

She said: “We don’t exactly know where they are, but there are soldiers standing by the schools where the beneficiaries go.”



Nocum admits it was difficult at first to encourage parents to attend Kris Library. Some parents were worried the library was trying to convert them to the opposite religion.

"We were able to attract them because we provided a mix of both books and digital resources, computers, and an internet connection," Nocum said.

"The computers and internet connection were a big temptation to the kids because these communities were not only experiencing conflict, but they did not have regular access to telephones lines or electricity."

Even so, when children and their parents were convinced to come through the doors, the communities hesitated to mix.

"They would be off to their own corners: Christians this side, Muslims this side. You'd see a really physical divide, which was saddening," Nocum said.

But Kris Library encouraged the children to interact through tutorials and a scholarship program, where the foundation sponsored children to go to school.

"In time you would see that physical divide dissolve," Nocum added.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 of the richest people in the world, by region

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Bill Gates

Wealth research and insight firm Wealth-X recently released its annual Billionaire Census — a report identifying and analyzing the different trends and behaviors of the world's 2,473 billionaires, including the most common hobbies and the regions of the world that play host to the most tycoons.

Europe is home to the most billionaires with 806, followed by Asia (645) and North America (628).

But at $2.56 trillion, North America's uber-wealthy are the richest — thanks in part to Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, who is still the wealthiest person on the planet, with a net worth of $77.1 billion. 

Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific each are home to titans of industry with eye-popping fortunes in their own right, and Wealth-X identified the richest from each region. 

Read on to learn about the wealthiest person in every part of the globe. 

Emmie Martin and Tanza Loudenback contributed reporting.

SEE ALSO: The 20 most common hobbies of the richest people in the world

DON'T MISS: The 50 richest people on earth

Pacific: Gina Rinehart

Net Worth: $9.5 billion

Country: Australia

Industry: Mining

The richest person in Australia is mining tycoon Gina Rinehart. Her family was one of the largest landowners in the country, and her father vastly increased their wealth in the 1950s by establishing an iron-ore prospecting business on their vast holdings that would become Hancock Prospecting. Rinehart, 62, was born into wealth, but greatly expanded her lot, including inking a partnership between Hancock and natural resources behemoth Rio Tinto on a massive iron ore project called Hope Downs.

Slumping iron ore prices have diminished her fortune in recent years. Rinehart has also been involved in long, drawn-out legal battle with two of her children over control of significant chunks of the family fortune. 



Africa: Aliko Dangote

Net Worth: $10.4 billion

Country: Nigeria

Industry: Diversified investments

At 20, Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote borrowed money from his uncle to start a business that dealt in commodities trading, cement, and building materials. He quickly expanded to import cars during the country's economic boom. Four years later, in 1981, he formed Dangote Group, an international conglomerate that now holds diversified interests including food and beverages, plastics manufacturing, real estate, logistics, telecommunications, steel, oil, and gas.

The majority of the 59-year-old Dangote's wealth stems from his stake in Dangote Cement, which is publicly traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and is worth some $9.5 billion. 



Middle East: Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz al Saud

Net Worth: $19.7

Country: Saudi Arabia

Industry: Diversified investments

Prince Alwaleed — grandson of Abdul Aziz al Saud, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — built his fortune with savvy investments in a range of companies across the US and the Middle East. He founded Kingdom Holding Co. in 1980 and has since invested in everything from real estate to entertainment to education, with stakes in companies like Twitter, The Four Seasons, Time Warner, and Motorola.

Alwaleed, 61, has an enigmatic relationship with his money. In 2013, he sued Forbes for allegedly underestimating his wealth. But last summer he announced plans to donate his entire fortune to charity anyway.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 things you shouldn't do at high-end restaurants

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Chef's table

Even seasoned diners can sometimes use a good refresher on the do's and don'ts of high-end restaurants.

A recent Quora thread asked for the rookie mistakes people can make at fancy restaurants. The responses are a good guide to how to get the most out of your experience.

We picked the 12 best rules to live by:

Don't fall for the 'decoy effect'

"Restaurants that incorporate the decoy effect in their wine list will include one or two top quality and very expensive wines, in order to shift the customer's view of a reasonable choice to a higher pricing level than would happen if the decoy was not in place.

"Seasoned diners at high-end restaurants scan the wine list descriptions for their favourite wines with little regard for price, so they are less likely to fall for the decoy effect." — Peter Baskerville (started and managed three restaurants in Australia)



Order from the chef, not from yourself

One mistake people make: "They order from themselves rather than from the chef. I'm not referring to substitutions and such, I mean ordering the boring chicken breast which is only there to appease boring folk.

"People should order what the place is known for, in the manner and progression the restaurant recommends. If at a steakhouse, get a steak — better yet get the cut of steak they are known for." — Jason Ezratty (former culinary consultant and restaurant owner)



Get the full experience

"Spend the requisite amount of time and money to get the full experience from the place. Don't skip wine/beverage and a first course just to save. If affordability is an issue, better to save up longer than half-ass it." — Jason Ezratty



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Experienced business travelers reveal their favorite travel tips

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airport

Living on the road can be tough, but business travelers often have traveling down to a science.

From scoring upgrades to the best way to pack a suitcase, anything that can make the hassle of jet-setting a little easier can be a lifesaver. 

We reached out to several frequent flyers to find out their favorite travel strategies.

Mandi Woodruff contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: 16 packing tips every business traveler should know

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

Have one go-to piece of luggage that always works, no matter what kind of trip you're taking.

Investor and former Luxury Link CEO Scott Morrow says that he always takes his Tumi roller bag with him whether he's going on a long trip or short one.

"It doesn't depend on the length of the trip — I've even been to Europe and Africa for 35 days straight and I only take a roller bag," Morrow said. "I never check luggage, ever. It forces me to be efficient with what I pack."

Price: $595



Pack less than you think you need.

Fathom Way To Go founder Pavia Rosati suggests thinking about what you want to bring and then paring that list down — by a lot. 

"I think about the stuff I want to bring, and then I only bring half," Rosati said. "And you’re still not going to wear a good two-thirds of it."



Bring clothes that are dark colors.

Pauline Frommer, editorial director of the Frommer Guide Books and Frommers.com, doesn't put all that much thought into the clothes she brings with her on her travels — besides bringing dark colors that hide stains.

"I am probably the least stylish traveler on the face of the planet," Frommer said.

"To me it's not about how I look, it’s about how the world looks. And if I'm worrying too much about how I look, then I'm missing out on my trip. I wear dark colors that hide stains."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A day in the life of a top magazine editor

21 of the best places in the world to meet a billionaire

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Art Basel Miami

The world's richest people spend much of their time working to earn their fortunes, but there's always time for fun, especially when they appear on the guest lists for the most prominent film festivals, yacht shows, polo matches, football and soccer games, and tennis tournaments around the world.

Wealth-X, a company that conducts research on the ultra-wealthy, recently released its annual billionaire census, which explores the trends and habits of the world's richest people. The report reveals that the typical billionaire's social calendar is jam-packed year round.

From the fashion runways of London and Milan to a waterfront auto raceway in Monte Carlo, Monaco, read on to check out 21 of the biggest and best events frequented by billionaires.

SEE ALSO: The 20 most common hobbies of the richest people in the world

DON'T MISS: There are more billionaires than ever before — and they're worth a total of $7.7 trillion

Davos World Economic Forum

World Economic Forum's annual meeting of the minds — and money — is held in Davos, Switzerland, every January. The week-long international business conference invites world leaders and business magnates like Bill and Melinda Gates and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff to discuss the world's most pressing social, political, and economic issues.



Sundance Film Festival

Hollywood takes over the scenic ski town of Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival every January. The 10-day event is the largest showcase of independent filmmaking in the US and doubles as a swanky winter getaway for Hollywood elite. 



Super Bowl

The biggest sporting event in the US happens every February, marking the end of the football season and the final face-off between the champions of the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. More than 111 million television viewers watched this year's game — the 50th anniversary of the franchise — while deep-pocketed fans cheered from the stands.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The best things to do in New Zealand, according an Instagram star who visited 50 countries in 2 years

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gleason hobbit house

Taylor Gleason may only be 21 years old, but he's already seen more of the world than most people ever will. 

The young adventure-seeker has traveled to a whopping 65 countries, documenting it all — in classic millennial fashion — on an Instagram account that has amassed an impressive 65,800 followers. 

Of all of the places he's been to, though, New Zealand stands out to Gleason as an exceptionally cool destination. Beautiful scenery, laid-back locals, and endless adrenaline-infused activities are just some of the reasons that the Kiwi nation was one of his favorites. 

Gleason gave Business Insider an exclusive look into his top picks of things to do on the two main islands that make up the tiny country, complete with jaw-dropping pictures and videos of his experiences. Just beware of the sharks: they look close enough to touch. 

SEE ALSO: Meet the 21-year-old Instagram star who traveled to 50 countries in just 2 years

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Go to Christchurch, where you can visit one of the leading International Antarctica research centers and see a population of adorable penguins.

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Bungee jump off of Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, the birthplace of this death-defying sport. Gleason recommends the "water touch" bungee jump, where a head-first plunge off the bridge lets your body submerge in the water for a split second before you spring back up.

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Take in the gorgeous Queenstown scenery from high up in a hang glider. "It was my first time doing it, and it was surreal," Gleason said. "It was amazing to be able to actually be in the same position as a bird and get a real 'bird's eye view' of nature and the world."

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8 rules every guy should know before heading to the barbershop


Psychology explains why wealthy people who love their jobs have 3 things in common

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Angelina Jolie

So you want to do what you love.

... and you want to make money.

A handful of people have the privilege to do both. Not surprisingly, these folks tend to have a few things in common, as Cornell University economist Robert H. Frank lays out in a recent story for the New York Times' Upshot blog.

But what we wanted to know was this: Among these high earners who adore their gigs, are there any psychological commonalities that the rest of us might be able to incorporate into our own lives?

Turns out, the answer is yes. According to the latest psychological research, people who make a lot of money and adore their jobs tend to share three key traits.

SEE ALSO: Here are 25 habits that psychologists have linked with happiness

DON'T MISS: 11 surprising things your physical appearance says about you

#1: They're experts in their field.

Dozens of studies belonging to a field known as positive psychology suggest that the happiest people are those who identify their unique skills — or "signature strengths" — and find a way to incorporate these into their daily life.

A team of British psychologists who recently studied hundreds of college students for two months found that, compared with students who reported rarely or never using their signature strengths, those who reported regularly using these skills tended to report better progress in reaching the personal goals that they'd been asked to identify at the beginning of the study. Those students also tended to report being happier (according to their scores on a widely used psychological measure of satisfaction) over the same time period.

Plus, experts tend to make more money than non-experts. As economists Philip Cook and Robert Frank argue in their book "The Winner-Take-All Society," those who become highly skilled at their jobs are capturing a much larger share of total income in almost every field.

"Moral: Become an expert at something!" Frank wrote in the Times.



#2: They feel good about what they do.

Sure, you might feel okay with what you do at work each day, but how do you feel about what your employer does for the rest of the world? In his book "What Price the Moral High Ground?", Frank says feeling good about your employer's broader mission is one of the most important aspects of occupational satisfaction.

"When most people leave work each evening, they feel better if they have made the world better in some way, or at least haven’t made it worse," Frank writes in the Times

And, not surprisingly, research suggests happy employees are better for the company in the long-run. A Harvard Business Review survey of 12,000 electronic journal entries from 238 professionals across seven different companies suggested that employees were far more likely to have new ideas on days when they felt happier. Win-win.



#3: They regularly find themselves blissfully submerged in their work.

When was the last time you were so immersed in something that the world around you seemed to fade away? Research from the Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi suggests that this state of consciousness, which he and other researchers have called "flow," also happens to be the time when we feel the most joyful, creative, and at-peace.

Fortunately, further research suggests that this positive, flow-state is under our control: Finding a job or a hobby that encourages us to enter our flow state can help us feel happy and satisfied.

Plus, if you've found a job that regularly gets you in your "flow," chances are you'll be more likely to devote a lot of time doing it. Dozens of psychological studies suggest that this time spent practicing can add up and increase your odds of becoming an expert in your field. Again, experts tend to make more money than non-experts.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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17 life-saving facts that everyone should know

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Just about everyone knows that you should never text and drive, and that you should stop, drop, and roll if you catch on fire.

But life can also throw situations at us for which we don't have a quick, handy response.

Commenters in a recent Quora thread about life-saving facts offered their best tips, which are easy to remember and could have a huge impact if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation.

You might want to save these for later.

SEE ALSO: 6 animals that attacked critical human infrastructure

Your brain can't handle walking and using your phone at the same time — so look up.

Safety adviser Murali Krishnan points out that walking and using your phone both demand large amounts of cognitive effort. 

As a result, you can't fully focus on both at the same time in the same way you can with walking and gum-chewing, for instance. You'll suffer "inattention blindness," where you may see an object but not process that it's a car speeding toward you.



Eliminate your car's blind spots by adjusting your mirrors properly.

Blind spots aren't inevitable in all vehicles, argues user Kristen Rush. 

By adjusting your mirrors so that you barely see the edges of your own car, you can effectively eliminate the blind spots on the sides of the vehicle. The rear-view mirror should be able to locate any car behind yours. It's worth the few seconds it takes to adjust these when you get in the driver's seat.



Heat transfers faster through liquid than gas, so keep warm by staying dry.

There's a connection between being wet and getting cold, and vice versa for heat, says engineer Lia Lavoie

To ensure your body temperature doesn't fall too quickly in cold environments, invest in clothes made of wool instead of cotton — they'll absorb more moisture so that dampness doesn't linger on your skin. And, of course, do your best to stay dry.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Look inside Tom Ford's estate that includes an entire movie set and is rumored to be worth $75 million

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When fashion designer and film director Tom Ford isn't outfitting James Bond, he's pretty much living in a movie.

Ford is the owner of the Cerro Pelon Ranch, which was designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Tadao Ando and contains a full film set of an old Western town.

The property, located in a New Mexican desert, was listed for sale in July. The broker, Kevin Bobolsky, hasn't released a price, but The Santa Fe New Mexican suggests the listing could be worth $75 million.

But enough of that, here's what you really came for: the photos.

SEE ALSO: Restoration Hardware CEO Gary Friedman is selling his $10.5 million Napa Valley home — and it's just as stunning as you'd imagine

The ranch is in the Galisteo Basin, a short drive from Santa Fe.



The estate features a huge reflective pool, which shines beautifully in the moonlight.



Architect Tadao Ando is best known for his work on the Church of the Light in Osaka, Japan.



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