We both got the "must be nice" reaction from some folks before leaving.

In Buenos Aires, we were surprised that some people assumed we wouldn't blink an eye at being asked to pay close to $100 for a "dinner, tango lesson and show" when we could easily take a cab downtown, have a nice dinner with wine and dessert and pop into a local "milonga," or tango club, for less than $25.

Or that we would subsidize their meals when we went out to dinner together. Or that we wouldn't comparison shop for items we wanted to take home.

I'm used to the "tourist" surcharge. I encountered it in Ecuador and Mexico. But it still gets under my skin at times.

When I travel, I like to spend money in local restaurants and buying handicrafts from local artisans. I don't mind paying for a tour guide for a place I really want to go and learn about but can't easily get to on my own. I'm happy to pump money into the local economy. But when inflated prices combine with shoddy service or workmanship and an attitude of entitlement, that's when I get irritated.

Laura and I both work three jobs -- one full time, two part time each -- so we can save money for trips like this.

Travel is a priority for us like new cars or flat-screen TVs or iPhones are priorities for other Americans. We stay in hostels and cheap hotels. We eat at corner cafes and local dives rather than fancy restaurants. We save our vacation days and budget our money.

I'm not saying that travel is something anyone can -- or even wants -- to do. But it's certainly more within reach than people think.

Like anything worth doing, it takes sacrifice and prioritizing. We're not rich Americans, just Americans who think it's important to get out of our U.S. bubble now and then to open our minds. So we find a way.