A Creepy Recurrence

I pretty much praise anyone who finds a reason or the time to explore my site, and when people search the web and end up on Nomadderwhere, I'm just as thrilled. Some of my most popular posts are some I wouldn't have pegged to be for the masses, for example: My JanSport Backpack Review

Things I Didn't Know Before Coming to Greece

My Brush with Controversial Cambodia

And since the death of Evan Witty in April of 2009, I've received google searches daily from people who still wonder about his abrupt and unexpected death in Cambodia. It's somewhat comforting to know he's still very much in people's minds. I hope my post on Evan Witty offers some comforting words, as it's by far my most popular post to date.

However, I also get many searches that creep me out:

"child sex" "naked boy"

and the most troubling...

"cambodia sex tourist friendly hotels"

From these searches, people navigate to such stories as my night out at a hostess bar in Phnom Penh. That evening out, I experienced street flooding, chatted with some ladies at a hostess bar about their children, and fell asleep in the bathroom (don't judge). Hopefully those interested in the child sex industry are coming here to look for actions against the epidemic, not directions explaining how to find such activity.

I write about this today because...

1. it's Friday the 13th and creeps are ...well, creepy; and

2. I left the orphanage a year ago today.

It was one of my goals by year's end to find a way to return, through a collaboration with Fighting for Futures and an alliance with Airtreks. Though this didn't pan out due to my own budget restrictions, I don't plan to cut off my concern just because I can't physically return. What can I do if I can't actually be there? Enter the knife-like tongue.

Down with the Creeps

The visceral effect this disgusting occurrence has on those who witness it is a repulsion that screams to be known and acted upon. I know it's hard to decide which worthy causes in this world deserve our attention the most, as it's something like choosing a favorite child, but for me it's hard to imagine a worse start or end in life than to rely on a pedophile's twisted business for basic sustenance.

The media have been posting stories and videos on Youtube for decades displaying the realities of the sex tourism industry around the world, and not surprisingly the creeps keep on a-violating. Does it make a difference to simply make the public aware of this issue we seemingly cannot change? I guess we all say, "It's worth trying," but the utterance of this phrase [to me] almost seems to declare instant defeat and the acceptance of heartsickness for one and all.

Here's one of the many videos I found, this one from the New York Times from 2007.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSDiMIgrd9A

We make that worthy try, and there seems to be a airtight seal on the workings of impoverished communities where women and children fall into the industry of the body.

Then come organizations that seem to finally have a solution for catching the scum. Here's APLE and their sting operation on Harvey Johnson, suspected offender of all codes moral, judicial and human. I have yet to find the outcome of this case, but let's hope being a spectacle on ABC and across the internet will incapacitate him wherever he is.

There are a lot of people doing this work locally and operations concocted stateside, but I don't think it's promoting the right mindset to think these are the only people who should be making strides.

Enter initiatives like Fighting for Futures, which blossomed from a traveler's experience in Cambodia and aims to eradicate the child sex industry (and other awful realities of the third world) by enhancing their educations with liberating, creative approaches. Cathleen, the founder of FFF, felt that visceral repulsion and now spends every waking hour putting her own money into fundraising efforts across New York City in order to promote her upcoming trip to Southeast Asia to implement these creative programs.

She traveled. She was moved. She's going after the creeps.

I Challenge You

Today, on this Friday the 13th, I urge you to combat the creeps. Take a look at Fighting for Futures, Operation Twisted Traveler, and many other programs and organizations for the empowerment of kids stuck in this creep industry. It's modern-day slavery, human trafficking, and it's despicable.

Consume & Update: #1, Frequent Flyer and New News

Hope this makes for excellent coffee shop reading material this Sunday morning. Gooooo travel!

We're #1! No, really!

Even though our tourism numbers are going down the pooper because of the economic downward "flush," we still managed to beat out countries like New Zealand and Japan in the Country Brand Index, which is "an online survey of about 3,000 international business and vacation travelers that ranks how countries are perceived." Out of 29 specific categories such as "ideal for business" and "shopping," the USA received some high grades, which these days sounds more like "you're not failing too badly" rather than "you're on top of the world!" Regardless, way to go, 'Merica.

Get off the Pavement

Though I'm of the school of thought that Frost was being ironic about this "road less traveled" business, I do think Jonny Gibaud brings up some lifestyle design issues on ThrillingHeroics.com that can help us reevaluate or verify our paths are right for us. Not everyone is going to believe in doing what's unconventional or unexplored, but I think it's necessary to some extent in order to come up with original approaches to life, work, and more.

A “balanced” approach to life is not about not focusing on a job or any other single aspect of life but conversely focuses on seeing a job or career or any other aspect of one’s life as exactly that, one aspect of their life, not the aspect.

Earning and Burning: Frequent Flyer Video

Frequent Flyer from Gabriel Leigh on Vimeo.

I don't know if I could handle the life of an earner and burner, but the possibilities make you wonder where you could go. I guess it could pay to take the advice from the pros if you're into traveling, especially the advice of Chris Guillebeau, creator of The Art of Nonconformity. This man is one of the few that make a very comfortable income from traveling and promoting a nonconventional lifestyle. Here is his latest venture: How to Use Frequent Flyer Miles to Travel For Free! Sounds promising...

Other Discoveries

Nomadic Matt discusses Why Americans Still Don't Travel Overseas as he tromps around Europe.

A very cool site design of the World's Cool Capitals

The Professional Hobo makes her experienced perspective known with Voluntourism: Hip or Hype? Though this is no new post, it's pretty relevant to my most recent trip plan.

Update on Nomadderwhere

I am currently in Chicago, Illinois, and if you're a friendly friend in the area, send me an e-mail or direct tweet and let me know! You may catch me in between museum visits and "L" riding or while I'm trying desperately to wake up from a deep slumber (as this has recently become a daunting task).

Some of the biggest news is the decision to catapult myself far away starting December 1st of this year. The trip's concept began forming in the summer, but the plan to travel only became real on Monday morning of this week. Within 18 hours, tickets were purchased. The gist will soon be published on this site, and the details are in the developmental stage. Probably the most exciting aspect of this experience is the presence of my favorite travel buddy, Garrett Russell, from my experiences on Semester at Sea and in Europe during the Big Journey.

A Backpacker's Guide to Cruises

For some, this title is ironic, polarizing, an oxy moron, a moot point. Backpackers don't cruise, are you kidding me? Gasp - cough - lean against a wall in disbelief... I think backpacking is a mindset as well as an art form exhibited in the travel arena. What happens if Grammy wants the whole family to sail together to the Caribbean? And how about a reunion with your best friends from college? Sometimes it really is just about enjoying yourself and traveling conveniently, and instead of wasting energy debating the gross consumerism and inauthenticity of commercial, mass travel, why not go along for the ride - just as you would on the top of an Indian bus.

Ship Knowledge

Quickly, here's your ship direction guide:

The bow is the front. The stern (or aft) is the back. Port is the left-hand side. Starboard is the right-hand side.

To remember this, port and left both have four letters while you point to the stars with your right hand.

As soon as you embark, get a lay of the ship - just as you would seize the town upon setting your bags by your new dorm bed. Ask the crew where you can find whatever's important to you: a relaxed bar atmosphere, the least crowded pool, the coolest free stuff to do on board, and more.

If you get seasick, go to the stern to the lowest level possible and try to stay outside in the fresh air. If you take dramamine, prepare for the subsequent, 2-hour nap. Stay hydrated, and bring packets of lemonade or drink mix if you don't like chlorinated tap water.

Click with the Crew

Even if your ship is a Cialis commercial, don't forget that there are hundreds of people on board who see the world the same way you do. Those would be the crew members - people who have figured out how to travel and make money simultaneously. They work (more or less) ten hour days, seven days a week, and when someone interacts with them that doesn't fit the mold of the cruise-afficionado, it's a breath of fresh air they stick around to relish in.

I had long talks with the spa workers, the waiters, the bartenders - they all enjoy engaging in conversations that don't involve pool towels and premium wine tastings. These are the people who will tell you what to do in port and where to find the best value food/internet/just about anything.

Packing

As this is a backpacker's guide, be sure to bring your ...backpack. Don't think just because you're following the crowd that you should pack like them also. Wearing a backpack will make it easy to carry on your own luggage and not have to drop it on the terminal and wait for its arrival later. Plus, collapsible luggage can fit under your bed.

Remember there's a laundromat aboard. You don't have to pack seven of everything for a week trip. You also have free shampoo and a clothesline in the shower. Pull out your hostel skills and wash your delicates in the sink. Did you know shampoo is quite alright for washing cotton clothes (and probably others)?

What to bring:

Note: This packing list is optimal for a week in a hot climate.

Footwear: sneakers for the gym, walking in port, and around the slippery deck and sandals that work going to the pool and to dinner

Cruise ship attire: one pair of comfy pants (that can hopefully pass as dressy), one pair of shorts (exercise-friendly), a bathing suit, 2 - 4 t-shirts (some classier than others), a sweatshirt, one nicer outfit that doesn't wrinkle too much(if you're traveling with grandparents or a pinkies-up crowd)

Undergarments: 2 - 4 pairs of underwear (wash in sink or laundromat), 2 pairs of socks, and you ladies can figure out your own bra situation

Other essentials: a scarf/colorful pashmina if you're a lady, antibiotics and cipro for traveler maladies from the port, laptop (for media storage or if you like paying $.50 per wireless minute), a bottle of wine (that's all you're allowed as a cruise passenger), a cover-up and/or sarong, and all the obvious items like cameras and a toothbrush

Traveling in Port

This will be one of the most aggravating aspects of cruise travel for the natural vagabond. Be prepared that you'll only be spending roughly five hours more or less in your cruise destinations. Here's how to maximize your time on land:

1. Do your research before you sail. Get familiar with the layout of the city and figure out the one thing you'd like to do in the port city.

2. Read the newsletter delivered to your room the night before a port. Note the sunrise time (wake up for all sunrises!) and when people can begin disembarking the ship. If there is a tender (a smaller boat that takes people from the ship to shore), listen to announcements and get in line early for one of the first boatloads. Tenders take longer.

3. If you want to pay more for convenience, go with a cruise-sponsored trip, but if you're sticking to your backpacker guns, know there are plenty of salesmen past the gangway willing to haggle and offer the same trip. It will probably be cheaper, but you may have to lean on them a tad for making it back in time to the ship.

4. Find the main area of town where they funnel cruise-goers and keep walking a few blocks until you find the real city.

5. Don't buy liquor and expect access to it on the ship. They will package it for your final night to avoid losing out on alcohol sales at sea. Research other contraband in order to avoid losing anything you purchase as well.

6. The less baggage you have in port, the fast you can get through the line to get back on the ship.

7. If you have to tender, get in line 75 minutes before the ship embarks just in case the line is huge. If the ship is docked, line up a half hour or more prior.

Avoiding Extra Costs

Cruises today range from tens of thousands per voyage to incredibly affordable [considering the included service, transportation, lodging, food, and amenities offered for free]. I'm frankly amazed that for almost $100 a day my trip was actually possible.

This is only the upfront cost, but if you follow the road rules of the backpacking type, it's possible to exercise, eat constantly, witness comics and flamboyant performances, learn from pros and entertain yourself for days for no extra charge (unless you can't resist a frosty brew).

Aside from gratuities for your cabin steward, one could avoid the ship charges altogether! But we all know that's not the point of a cruise.

Why Cruise?

I can see only a few reasons why a backpacker would travel on a cruise: a family trip, a reunion or trip with a group of people, or pure pampering in an all-inclusive setting.

For these trips, a cruise is an incredible way to travel, but since backpackers are often about roughing it, immersing themselves in the destination, paying pennies, and moving solo/in pairs, it doesn't always make sense to float on the ocean with 3,000 other people your parents' age.

Here's what some backpackers said about cruises...

@nomadicmatt: Cruises aren't really a backpacker thing but in their own right can be a fun time. I've been on a few. lots of food!

@heyitsbryan: not my fave

@mattyingram: cruises make me feel like I'm in a straightjacket, listening to ABBA, watching someone on a treadmill. I need to breathe! [I don't like having limited time in ports] you do get to see more places without moving...but thats part of the fun, the crazy places you stay and crazies you meet. It constantly changes, and you have freedom to move.

@thetravelbee: Well, I'd like to take one, it sounds like fun! I have never been on one.

One thing that is sure to upset the backpacker majority is that the schedule port cities aren't really the "destinations" of the voyage. For many on board, it's not about the land but being at sea with all the amenities and excitement. I was in shock when people chose not to get off the ship in Mexico, blaming the weather or schedule engagements on the ship, but one can't get too obsessed with this.

Yes, for the backpacker, it is about the journey, just as much if not more, than about the destination. When the journey is too easy and the destination isn't enjoyed, what's the trip all about?

Getting away from "it all"

Did this guide help you? Have you had any personal experiences with cruises in the recent past? Do tell.

Consume & Update: Place, Patagonia and Chicago

What's better than good reading material on our favorite topic: Travel!

Mental Mileage

New contributor of Vagablogging, Colleen Wilde, brought a beautiful quote to the surface this week with her post of the same title:

Measure Travel Inwards

-Henry David Thoreau

I thought this was lovely, and it got me thinking about my diverse reactions to culture shock and the implications of them in terms of what I've learn and grown to believe in.

Dream Jumps

Ain't nothing finer than a dreaming in your recliner. Check out Cole's photo work, which remind me of the way I like to feel when romping around in fields.

Yeah, I Know That Place

Though this post has been up a few weeks, I thought it was an interesting examination by a long term traveler. When can you say you know a place? Matt has his stance figured out on the topic:

No matter how long we linger, little markets we explore, or non-touristy things we do, as travelers, we’ll never fully know a place- only someone who has lived there can claim that.

If you're fairly young and have a good number of destinations under your belt, chances are you haven't spend much extended time in these locations. When people ask for advice on Melbourne or China because you've graced those coordinates, can you really say you know that place well enough to comment on the lives and mindsets of the resident public? Do you know how things really function in that place?

It’s not until we begin to live like a local that we can truly get an appreciation for the rhythm of life there. That is why Couchsurfing is such a great thing. You can stay with locals, see where they go, go out with them, and put your self into the local rhythm.

The Beauty of the Far South

Vagabondish's Photo of the Moment of Patagonia is pure eye candy, is it not? And November is the start of the springtime and clear skies for this lovely wilderness. Anyone planning on hitting up these parts soon? I'm tagging along.

Is Anyone Copying You Online?

This one's more for the bloggers out there. We slave pretty hard for our readers, but what if someone lame-o is out there copying all your original material for their own uses? Problogger was all over this issue last week with his post Stop Scrappers and Spammers Fast. I checked and am free and clear of cling-ons. And you?

The Enjoyment of Unemployment II

Bob Fawcett brings a solo road trip across the States to life in his trailer for The Enjoyment of Unemployment, II. You may remember Bob from the STA WTI applicant pool, showing off his city of Chicago. Well, he's now living his dream out in L.A., plowing his way into the film and TV industry. Go get 'em, Bob.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EBESjKIe3A

Other Discoveries

Nerdy Nomad is off to do Hands On volunteer work in Indonesia. Sounds like a great idea.

The corporate world goes local (kinda goes against the point). It's something called "Localwashing."

Bourdain responds to his fans going nuts about the new animated web-series, Alternate Universe.

Update on Nomadderwhere

A week from now, I will be in Chicago in order to:

-meet up with old friends and turn on my giggle box

-capture footage for the new STA application video

-take in the art, food and streetscapes with my parents

-hopefully make some connections, create some content and make some garsh-darn money

Specific plans include: going to Nookies for omelets, Kingston Mines for some blues, ordering a chocolate shake at the Weiner Circle (gulp...), possibly catching a showing of Jersey Boys or Million Dollar Quartet, taking tips from Jessie Barber's "Free Chicago" post on the STA blog,who really knows...

Are you familiar with the Chicago area and holding onto a great entertainment/food/cultural recommendation? By all means, toss them my way. Tweet me or comment below. I'm all ears.

Also, I'm starting my book challenge today to write 20,000 words by November 30th. Hopefully the act of updating you all via these posts will encourage the writing and maybe inspire you to push yourself harder at whatever you're doing!

Nomadderwhere is on GoBackpacking.com

Nomadderwhere is a wee, yet passionate, travel website for those looking for inspiration, advice or conversation. However, today marks the day 2 of spreading the NMW love across the internet via a fantastic resource called:

GoBackpacking.com

David Lee, editor and long-term independent traveler, will be posting some of my travel stories in the coming weeks, including my couchsurfing experience in Uganda and a tricky Indian visa situation in Zambia. Subscribe to his addictive feed to keep up with all these guest postings and more, a series perhaps, surely to come!

Reviewing Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild

Jon Krakauer is the reason I traveled to India in 2008 to see the Himalayan mountains. Into Thin Air was a personal account of a terrible occurrence on Mount Everest that for some reason led me to adore and venerate the world's ability to form this mountain range. So before I even picked up its predecessor, Into the Wild, I was on Krakauer's side and knew it would be a story deeply connected to my own.

After holding off watching the movie for a year [hoping to read the book first], I finally caved and let tears soak my cheeks as I watched Chris McCandless follow a desire that couldn't be silenced. Since the book came second, I fear the story's impact was compromised, but only by a fraction.

Consume & Update: Interesting Travel, 1 Question and Road Trip

Get ready to consume a whole lotta good stuff.

How Can I Resist This Title?

Vagabondish is a travelzine I keep my eye on and with good reason, as this week they posted How to Master the Art of Interesting Travel. I'm hooked! Amy Baker describes interesting travel in a way that makes sense, thanks to the crazy Brazilian teacher I met in 2007 who described the gut instinct reaction and identifying yourself with things or places:

You know when someone see’s a gift and exclaims “this has so and so’s name ALL over it”? Well, I believe that in order to truly enjoy your travels abroad, you should organize your itinerary and points of interest to have your name all over them. Planning a trip that caters specifically to your hobbies or curiosities is a rewarding, enjoyable and extraordinary adventure.

Sounds pretty obvious in hindsight, but I need these affirmations often. According to Amy's rules of thumb for this type of travel, here are my directions (what are yours?):

Figure out what you like to do at home: connect with friends, write, be outside and/or camp, get some physical exercise, musical concerts, read...

Get the scoop from those who know: I use twitter, the Thorn Tree Forum, travel narratives, and friends for location info, with a quick glance at the guide book necessities (no longer will I travel with a nose in a book).

Don't be afraid to try something new: Gotta bust out of my aversion to try weird foods and talk to more people. I have no idea why my timid nature is selective.

Savor it while you can: Traveling with fitting travel partners and drinking caffeine will definitely facilitate doing this more often than I do. Though I only coop up when sick, I know my most absorbent experiences come from connecting and savoring with fun travelers and lively locals.

Answer these questions for yourself, and savor this after dinner mint:

Mastering the art of special interest traveling may take time, but be sure to record and track what tools helped to make a trip very successful and what to avoid for the next time around. Traveling is about expanding new horizons while learning more about yourself, so absorb everything around you, stimulate your senses but most importantly do so while still holding onto you core self.

50 People, 1 Question

It's hard not to watch the whole thing.

I'm intrigued by these guys. Where would you like to wake up tomorrow? Comment below. I'd sure like to be in a small Fijian village called Nakavika.

National Novel Writing Month

It's not a novel I wish to write but a non-fiction travel narrative, and with the proclamation of next month's theme, I'm going to aim for 20,000 more words in my Big Journey Book (which is definitely not the title and is already hundreds of unedited pages), and the deadline is November 30th. Because I write with a desire to seclude myself, I often think there's no way I can accomplish a level of quality at home than I could obtain completely apart from society. Frankly, I make myself laugh with that excuse.

I'm mentioning this because if you're reading this blog, you're probably interested in travel yourself and may have your own ambitions of writing as well. Get on it, and let me know how you perform (that gets me motivated).

Tips from Problogger

I scan the work of Problogger.net every week with the same feeling of enrichment and necessity as I do brushing my teeth or getting some exercise. This week, I gave the post 5 Ways to Know if Your Blog is on the Right Track and felt a wee but present pat on the back. My comment and subscriber numbers have grown, but I also know what aspects of my blog I should closely follow to see some quantitative progress. After decades of schooling, I've found it a little difficult to reach that feeling of success with out this sort of verification of a job well done.

Other Discoveries

5 World's Most Dangerous Cities

5 Ways to Make Long Flights More Productive

Update on Nomadderwhere

Added to the Life List this week was a road trip across Mexico, conceived this year by reading On The Road and further solidified as a dream from my cruise two weeks ago. Even though my father immediately mentioned his concerns about the drug wars, I continue to bank on my [usually false] sense of confidence and security abroad. Hopefully, this can happen in the near future as I hate to let these ideas stew and gather dust in my brain.

Reviewing Lonely Planet's Travel Writing Book

Don George begins by subtly discouraging those who just love to travel from writing about travel for a living. He makes the very necessary statement that travel writing is still writing, and even the most fantastic trip or experience cannot carry itself in a poorly crafted article. For many, travel writing isn't the expected dream job because the majority of a writer's time can be spent fact-checking on location and soaring through cities like a blur, not in the manner in which most people love to travel. And if you couldn't write before the trip, there's not much hope in selling that trip's documentation afterward [without monumental amounts of editing, of course].

Luckily, a longstanding passion of mine is writing (I'd be pretty bummed about now if it weren't). Previously, I leaned on the place to do the talking and not the craft of writing. It's about being a wordsmith and a storyteller, not just a globetrotter with a pen. And from George's explanation of the laborious lifestyle, I realized I'm not opposed to slaving for the work if I continue to reap such happiness from its quality completion.

Consume & Update: Gulf States, Piano Stairs and Home Again

A week at sea leaves Lindsay's RSS reader mighty, mighty full. Blame the straight day of transit yesterday for this late posting.

Don't forget about the Middle East!

Gary Arndt and AmateurTraveler.com presented a podcast this week about traveling to the gulf states that gives us an ear into a conversation on countries often left off the itinerary. I've only used the gulf states as transit points and scapegoats for complaining induced by the heat/humidity dual attack. Gary chats about the basics you probably aren't savvy to. It's the kind of conversation one would overhear in a hostel common room. Whets the travel tongue a tad.

The 20 Best Travel Books of the 20th Century

I'm a sucker for these travel book lists, and here's another one from the Times in the UK, one which immediately verified itself as quality with the inclusion of 19. The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton. Some of the others from the list that I hope to read in the future are:

14. The Silk Road: Beyond The Celestial Kingdom by Colin Thubron (1989)

11. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin (1977)

4. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux (1975)

Stairs + Piano

Intelligent Travel posted a video last week by Volkswagen, whom is apparently interested in either fun or fitness...or both (and since I'm now a VW owner, I guess that means I need to support my make). The objective here was to observe whether passers-by prefer fun stairs to a boring escalator. Volkswagen better not make sidewalks into xylophones, or they may find themselves out a few customers.

de Botton on Airline Food

Eva Holland of World Hum posted an excerpt by one of my favorite writers, Alain de Botton, this week on airline food and a refreshing manner in which its quality could be judged.

Naturally airline food is dismal when we compare it to what we’d get on the ground but this is to miss the point. The thrill of airline food lies in the interaction between the meal and the odd place in which one is eating it. Food that, if eaten in a kitchen, would have been banal or offensive, acquires a new taste in the presence of the clouds. With the in-flight tray, we make ourselves at home in an unhomely place: we appropriate the extraterrestrial skyscape with the help of a chilled bread roll and a plastic tray of potato salad.

Other Discoveries

Getting a Job When You Return (Day 29 on AlmostFearless.com)

Travel Blog Exchange Expo set for June 26-27, 2010 in New York City

Update on Nomadderwhere

I returned yesterday from a quite enjoyable cruise along Baja California in the choppy, foggy Pacific where we ported in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Expect some practical and entertaining posts in the coming future about cruise travel and Mexico with videos and photos galore. Apologies for the untimely posting of this week's Consume & Update, and I promise a higher level of quality for next week (when I won't be stranded at sea with $.50/minute internet fees).

The Travel Pose

I have four types of travel poses: the ones I take at arm's length, the ones with sunglasses staring into the distance, the ones with my head resting on a surface, and Mighty Mouse.

Allow me to explain...

The "Arm's Length" Shot (aka selfie)

The majority of my travel portraits consist of this pose out of necessity and choice. When traveling alone, I have trouble both trusting a stranger to not steal my camera (or damage) and to not take an off-balanced, poorly-framed photograph of me next to something cool. If I have a motive to document a moment, I usually envision the exact composition I'd like to have.

When I hand my camera to someone who thinks I want half my face cropped and a stranger's confused red eyes in the background, I always feel embarrassed taking my own self-portraits after-the-fact. What a slap in the face to their skills - I tell myself - and wait out their departure to take my own shots. Sometimes I feel embarrassed regardless when taking an arm's length shot, because so many people tend to outwardly pity the solo traveler, making one feel a little lame even though the choice was probably deliberate.

The "Sunglasses Staring into the Distance" Pose

It all started in Denmark. My brother and I didn't think smiling for the camera was an authentic documentary technique if we weren't smiling beforehand. Though we were having a great time exploring Tivoli, we stood firm on our no-forced-smile policy, making all our photographs look like this.

Applying the same logic to my Big Journey, I approached my self-portraits thinking, "What was I doing right before I pulled out the camera?" Why, staring off into the distance, wondering where the hell I was! Hence, I created my ultimate, easy-to-remember, useful-in-any-scenario, travel pose.

With this body language, I don't claim to be any certain emotion but pensive, as every traveler should be. I think it's quite the winner for a Ray-Ban endorsement, wouldn't you say?

Just a quick video explaining my travel pose: Staring into the Distance with Sunglasses. Come to my blog to see further explanation on travel pose philosophy. http://nomadderwhere.com

The "Head on Surface" Shot

This is to hint to those confused viewers that I am either exhausted from a climb or loving the relaxation of the destination I'm in, as if bathing suits, blue skies and mountaintops aren't enough indication.

The "Mighty Mouse" Pose

An innate passion within me, a muscle-borne desire, an inkling in the back of my mind - I never realized this was an interest of mine until I said it aloud to a friend,

Every time I'm suspended in midair, I do this...

It made total sense upon hearing it, but it sure affected my friends with giggles and disbelief. An alteration to the often-attempted jumping shot, my Mighty Mouse pose is used only on rare occasion when I feel truly inspired...or there's a small precipice off which to jump.

What does your travel pose say about you?

The Captain Morgan Pose

You shouldn't have started at 9:00am, but you sure don't mind if people know that.

The Opposite Emotion Shot

You often poo-poo the norm, scoff at the every-day, hate the standard pretty shot. You'll do just about anything to throw off the mood of the photograph.

The Self-Deprication Shot

You know Models, Inc. isn't calling you anytime soon, so you might as well make your low self-esteem known. If not that, you may just be attempting to make the photographer's potential shot less appealing.

The Classic Jumping Shot

Not to be confused with the more enlightened Mighty Mouse, this effect is either to make a mundane picture somewhat less so or to amp up an already iconic/overdone shot. Jumping shots are used all too often and piss off - to no end - the stranger you wrangled to snap the moment over and over until everyone is adequately suspended in time. You may or may not be very creative. Don't worry; it was probably a temporary lapse of judgement.

The Open Mouth Shot

Whether you're legitimately having a good time or not, you want the viewer to believe your happiness and fun-o-meter go unmatched. Hopefully, you have nice teeth and brush them often.

The Peace Sign Pose

You have no idea what else to do. Or you're from the Eastern hemisphere.

The Thumbs Up Pose

You're far too cheesy for your own good.

The "What What" Pose

Throwing your arms up in the air as if to say, "I think I'm pretty cool," or "Look who's gangster in this photo;" truth be told, I don't think people who are actually gangster ever pose like this. We imitators should probably take a page from their book. This pose now causes me to recoil and look away. If you were really gangster, or cool, you'd be doing the Mighty Mouse pose instead.

The Bottom Line on Travel Poses

I pose as I please, and so should you. Obviously, consider the culture your in and make sure what you do doesn't offend the masses (e.g. the peace sign, seen from the back of the hand, or the "okay" sign).

Are your photos for Facebook stalkers to peruse, or will they be published as headshots under your written work? I certainly need to work on taking presentable portraits, after hearing one too many media personnel say, "Could you send us a photograph of you without sunglasses and standing on the ground?" It's also become apparent to me that taking the shots of yourself doing the every-day travel occurrence could be quite valuable in telling a visual story later.

Give some thought to the reflection of your personality and emotions in your portraits. You could come up with the perfect pose, or multiple poses, that makes sense to your traveling philosophy. And if the standard smile is all you can bother to muster, I recommend Crest Pro-Health and circular brush strokes.

Consume & Update: Poetry, China and Band-aids

What a smorgasbord! There is great material across the travel community this week, and here are some of the highlights.

Poetry in Motion

This looks like a truly lovely opportunity:

Imagine being given one year to travel outside North America. That’s exactly the situation I’m now in after being chosen as the 2010 Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholar.

The Amy Lowell Poetry Travel Scholarship is brand new to me and seems like the most incredible chance for those who breathe and move to the rhythm of their reflections. The application is due October 15th for those hoping to receive this honor and travel starting in the Fall of 2010. Where would you travel?

Happy 60th Birthday to One of the Oldest Civilizations on Earth!

Dan Chung creates a video for the Guardian, based in the UK, one which displays the beauty that comes from the interpretation and presentation of little moments in reality. This video displays the reasons why I became interested in photography. Of course, that's all on an unrelated note to the fact that this is about China's 60th birthday. Man, are there a lot of people in China...

Eye Candy

Shannon Stapleton's photograph of a surfer in New York makes me smell fresh air just looking at it.

Spreading the Love

Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding and feature writer of Ask Rolf on World Hum, answers the question: How can I convince my friends to travel overseas?

...the best way to win over travel skeptics is to humbly allow your overseas journeys to deepen your life. Over the course of many years, as you return from exotic places energized and inspired—with your body (and bank account) intact—your friends may start to take an interest. Once they start barraging you with questions of how and when and where (instead of just why), odds are they’re seriously starting to consider their own international trips...

...A good strategy at this point is to answer the “who” question for them—i.e. offer to have them meet up with you during one of your own journeys. Your companionship and confidence will help allay their fears on that initial overseas trip, and odds are they’ll catch the travel bug in the process...

Wisdom from the Pros

Dan and Audrey of Uncornered Market take a moment to lay out seven habits of highly effective travelers for those of us ready to learn from two people with a lot of miles. And what are these magical tips?

1. Adapt Constantly

2. Make Plans A, B, C, D, E...always

3. Work a Way In. Leave a Way Out.

4. Negotiate and Compromise

5. Tune In. Filter Often.

6. Have Less. Do More.

7. Find a Common Language

Obviously these somewhat cryptic tips have descriptions to be found on the post as well as references to specific instances when Dan and Audrey implemented their tricks. You could be reading - and learning - for hours.

Other Greats this Week

Celebrating in Rio from Intelligent Travel

Hermail: a free e-mail based service that allows any woman anywhere in the world to connect at this site with other females who love to travel.

Vagabondish displays a beautiful photo of Popa Taungkalat Temple in Myanmar

Update on Nomadderwhere

I didn't think it would be possible, but only a couple months after the internship, I'm back on the road! Actually, I'm back on water. I am currently at sea off the west coast of Mexico with my parents and about 4,000 other 60-somethings playing shuffle board and shooting skeet off a Princess Cruise vessel. Stories and photographs will come in the next couple weeks, and if you have any questions about destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan or Cabo San Lucas (or questions about cruises or Mexico), comment below!

Want to help out Nakavika? Under the tab entitled "Behind it All" sits Nakavika village in Fiji, a community at the end of an undulating road through the Namosi highlands, surrounded by thick tropical jungles and topped with a transformative sun. Education is an emphasis for these residents, but health seems to be an afterthought. In the coming months, I hope to plan another trip to Nakavika, Fiji and figure out a sustainable means of providing first aid supplies. If you have any advice on books about first aid, setting up a system for restocking supplies, fundraising and collecting Band-aids and Neosporin, e-mail me at Lindsay at Nomadderwhere dot com. You are also most welcome to donate to this project by going to Nakavika Village and purchasing a box of Band-aids or a tube of antibiotic ointment.

Consume & Update: Tea, Ponies, and Good Reads

After perusing the web for the most interesting goodies, here are my suggested reads and views for the week!

Burning Man Timelapse

World Hum and Eva Holland displayed a video by Ben Wiggins of stunning, time-lapse footage that gives a visual account of Burning Man, an annual art festival that seemingly cannot be truly described by even the most verbose and enlightened minds. Below is an excerpt from the Burning Man website explaining the basics:

"...Larry Harvey, founder of the Burning Man project, gives a theme to each year, to encourage a common bond to help tie each individual's contribution together in a meaningful way. Participants are encouraged to find a way to help make the theme come alive, whether it is through a large-scale art installation, a theme camp, gifts brought to be given to other individuals, costumes, or any other medium that one comes up with."

The event took place during the first week of September this year, and for many days every travel publication exhibited photo blogs, videos and narratives from the sun-bleached Black Rock Desert location. Of all the attempts to describe this extreme experience, this was the most moving documentation for me.

Carnivorous Countries

"GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward," and this poignant graphic by GOOD displays the realities of Earth's carnivorous habits. We can see here that the average Kiwi eats the equivalent weight of two burgers, a can of soup, and a Santa Claus each year.

Coffee Houses in a Tea World

I've recently discovered I'm borderline addicted to tea. After purchasing my first load in Darjeeling last year, I got very excited when the Internship brought me back to India for a top-off on my tea stash at home. This blog post from Intelligent Travel comes at a good time for my new obsession and also takes a wee gander at the concept of a coffee house in a tea-centric country.

Speaking of tea...

Just a simple video displaying a morning at an Indian tea stand. This man makes chai all day, every day. http://nomadderwhere.com

Trekking in Nepal

"It was 4 a.m. in mid-November, and I was stretching in a lodge in Thorong Phedi, Nepal, at 14,500 feet, trying to pump warmth back into my body and get rid of a throbbing headache brought on by dehydration and altitude sickness. Wolfing down chapati bread with jam and a fried egg, I chased it with pints of hot tea and water, and started to feel better. I knew I was going to need all my strength...Fifteen of us, along with porters and guides, were about to climb Thorong La, a pass 17,769 feet up in the Himalayas." Continue reading...

These stories are always worth the time to read them.

Other Online Discoveries

Be a Reporter at Sea

Day 20: 67 Travel Friendly Jobs

GAP Adventure's Coolest Travel Intern Job...oh really?

Update on Nomadderwhere

A new MacBook Pro now graces my presence, making it easier for me to create the work that I love to do.

I also had two presentations on travel this week in northern Indiana, which both went very well and were quite profitable. By selling hand-knit scarves and ceramics, I was able to collect $220 for the children at Palm Tree to receive more protein and fruit in their diets. I'm so appreciative of everyone who came to these events, listened intently, and found it important to contribute to my causes. Thanks again! The check to Cambodia's Hope is going out this week.

Did you find the Good Reads?

I'm pretty unbalanced when it comes to reading material. All I read are travel narratives, often with an adventurous or humorous twist. The stack on my nightstand is about two feet high with books from BookMooch and the library, all of which I want to read asap. If you enjoy the same genre and need some suggestions, check out my page on Good Reads, where you can find short reviews on all the travel books I can recall and see which have made the list for the future. Though I like brevity of articles and features, nothing beats the total transportation caused by a good book. This is why I aim to write a book myself in the foreseeable future.

Collaborating with the World Traveler Internship

On April 11th, I extended the opportunity for those interested to have a hand in the Internship, to collaborate, for the nature of the program is not to give someone a free trip around the world but to relate to the viewing community and charge their spirits to explore. Therefore, it was essential that I be aware of what people wanted to see. Bob Fawcett, a fellow top ten finalist, went to great (and much appreciated) lengths to offer those very ideas and skills that got him to the top in the first place. A budding film director, he had heaps of ideas to share:

Show the action of transit time including related antics
Utilize local music
Take advantage of predicaments for video material and make comical yet practical "How-to" episodes
Document the action/adventure segments and give them their due air time and drama
Create themed segments that cover universal ideas in all locations...

Believe it or not, this is the short version of his idea offering. Adhering to Bob's suggestions, I created a poll asking what readers would enjoy seeing, a universal idea across all destinations, and I received some helpful feedback that people want to see sunrises, dance-offs with locals, check out the grocery stores, observe some ridiculous toilet situations, and learn some global cheers or drinkings songs. What an undertaking I attempted!

To document all this while continuing with my internship duties weighed me down on the first and second stops. So for those of you loyal readers, I'm sorry I couldn't carry out a complete documentation of the universal themes you desired to my fullest extent. I had to give the job priority. However, I did manage to concoct this little video on sunrises with a bonus lesson on saying "cheers":

I asked my blog viewers what they would like to see as a universal theme across the destinations on the World Traveler Internship. The answer: sunrises. I may have added a bonus feature as well. http://nomadderwhere.com P.S. My apologies for the poor quality. Don't know what happened there!

I've taken this experiment as a lesson on what interests the viewer (you) and what I will be capable of the next go-around. Someone who documents travel and experience must be aware of the end results, while also being open and enthusiastic for the unexpected and spontaneous. Golly...learning new things every day.

Consume & Update: Travel Quotes, Site Potential and Mexico

This week's RSS feeds and reading sessions resulted in some good finds. Here are the articles and book excerpts I've found relevant, as well as an update on Nomadderwhere. This must be why my hometown of Wabash, Indiana has been calling to me these past few months. For years, I felt odd when visiting the town I left, comparing it to my new city of Indianapolis and letting the occasional snotty comment change my perception of where I spent my first 15 years. But Christine, a head Matadorian, wrote about enjoying the simple pleasures (as determined by you) and how this can lead to an authentic, happy, on-track lifestyle.

Many of us can get caught up in what we see other people doing, and compare ourselves - positively or negatively - to how we perceive them. Instead, as Erica points out, it feels better (and I believe, gets us further) to remind ourselves of what we love in our life. The best part about her list is the fact that she names pretty simple things, ones most people can do pretty much anywhere in the world.

Yet another article from Brave New Traveler, this one relates travel with the art form of improv...not your obvious correlation there. This quote rings very true for me in many instances, and these are often the times when I feel I'm being ungrateful or in "grandma mode". However, just as I remember having to make my own fun in a small town, when traveling I often feel it's up to me and not the place to create the awesome experience.

Most of us can accept that going to a party is no promise of having a good time. Yet, not so obvious to many, is that simply going somewhere exotic is no guarantee of enjoyment. Likewise, most people don’t realize improv isn’t about going out on stage without a script and “being funny.”

Currently, I'm reading Lonely Planet's Travel Writing book that is already accumulating a lot of green highlighter marks and sticky notes for its stellar, yet sometimes obvious, advice. Some of the points I've found useful thus far either teach me something that seems to be a key into the industry or simply remind me of a concept I already know and need to continually relearn throughout this career.

Travel writing, more than any other kind of writing, has to transport you, has to teach you about the world, has to inform you, and, ideally, has to take you into deeper and deeper questions about yourself and the world...get the reader to see the world as a question
Writing of every kind is a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love.
Bad writing often comes from bad traveling - and bad travel is unimaginative, uninformed and unoriginal.
Writing about everything you did on holiday should be kept strictly between you and your diary; you need to find the theme that will interest an editor.

Update on Nomadderwhere

After an anti-laborious weekend with some of my childhood pals, the week became dedicated to identifying ways I can make money by doing what I already love and commit time/energy to. In doing so, I started brainstorming the possibilities for Nomadderwhere, including new sub-domains, ebooks, services to offer, and new ideas for blog posts. Not only am I looking at my own work but at what I can offer to others without having the foundation of multiple publications and such. And if I'm going to think about what others would pay for, I'm going to need to find out what people want to read, look for that hook to bring in readers.

And Future Travel?

I'm beginning to research the great country to the south in preparation for my Mexican Riviera trip in October. Did you know Mexico is crazy about being the best? or having the most? or making the biggest? at acquiring superlatives? Personally, I'm trying to steer away from the American obsession to use or obsess about superlatives (e.g. OMG, Becca, that was like the best Cheeto I've ever had!), but it looks like Mexico is trying to get back on the world's stage for something other than the piggy flu. I'm grateful to all the Tweeters helping me out with advice on Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, and if you've got suggestions for adventure sports, good times, and more local excitement, let me know!

The Love of the Irish

I once loved Lucky Charms cereal. Back in the day, my mom would only purchase whole grain, non-sugary cereals for our morning bowls, so I would pounce at the chance to grab that box packed with clover and rainbow marshmallows at friend's houses. That leprechaun really hypnotized me with his marketing schpeal. They really were magically delicious. I realized not too long ago that the little leprechaun was the extent of my exposure to Irish culture, that is until I met some real Irishmen (and women) in the traveling community. Thank goodness, because I now find the consistency of the mallows to be rather putrid, and you'd hate to be turned off a country based on a non-authentic food association.

Some white-water kayakers chasing the rapids of the Nile in Uganda. A RTW-er taking a break from overlanding on the beaches of Zanzibar. A woman enjoying some time off while jetting across India. If I were to list all the amazing Irish people I've met in various circumstances, my brain would spin and hurl from overuse. The Irish get out there, and not only are they lovers of fun but make for great friends on the road. As a whole, they're immediately welcoming and seem to understand the comforts and personalities of others quite easily. And when you spend a lot of time away from home, loneliness is often a part of your daily emotional load...that is, unless there are some Irish around.

It wouldn't matter to me what time of year I visit Ireland or what activities I take part in; I would travel to Ireland just to be around the humor and mindset of the people who live there. Sitting in an empty pub, having a pint at the bar, and chatting with the bartender sounds fantastic to me. Falling into a conversation with the man next to me on the bus would probably leave me smiling. And we're darn lucky to be right across the pond from these guys, making it easier to pop on over for a quick break from work to be around a new culture that's impossible not to love.

It wouldn't matter to me what time of year I visit Ireland or what activities I take part in; I would travel to Ireland just to be around the humor and mindset of the people who live there. Sitting in an empty pub, having a pint at the bar, and chatting with the bartender sounds fantastic to me. Falling into a conversation with the man next to me on the bus would probably leave me smiling.

Consume & Update: Bloggers on Happiness, Ambition, and Reason

I did a little reading this week, and this is what stuck from the lot. Click on the images to read the articles.

The key to happiness or maybe just a good stepping stone

Good Investments

I've only recently come to hear of Rolf Potts, and I look forward to reading his novel "Vagablogging" in the coming months. Here on his blog, fellow writer Scott Gilbertson discusses possible reasons for unhappiness as a result of putting your money to the wrong use: stuff for yourself, and not on experiences for yourself or the people around you. I've really tried to apply this philosophy to my life in the last three years, running from buying stuff and saving for memorable experiences...maybe not with the direct goal of happiness at the front of my mind but more for the "I know I'll be a better person for doing this" reason. I've never been Miss Moneybags and have been spending my own money for quite some time, but I've known I always had enough to do the things I wanted. It may also be that I've only chosen to desire the things that are within my reach. Travel the world? Who needs twenty years of savings! Buy some drinks for people I don't know? Bottoms up, strangers! And the times I've spent money on dresses or crap for the shelves have never been as fulfilling as the money spent on a chicken dinner and dance party for kids. I'm not trying to say I'm holier and happier than thou, but it's all we can do to make the sensible, compassionate steps toward being people we're proud of. And if we're proud of who we are, we're probably pretty happy.

Why its easy to be fat, stupid and untraveled

Shake Up Your Lazy Inertia

This the second Vagabondish article I've really liked from author Turner Wright. His piece entitled "Why it's easier to stay fat, stupid and untraveled" is pretty straightforward. It's too bad our priorities as a mass population reflect a desire to do very little and be happy with that. We never stay still when we eat, or rarely even cook with known, natural ingredients. If your trigger finger is strong and nimble, you can shoot down every online deal you spend hours on your butt searching for. I guess I fall into the sloth lifestyle upon coming home. I work online or read sixteen hours a day and drive to the gym when I need to move around. I rationalize it as time spent researching and building a foundation for those times when I'm running around the world with a mission and a desire to live out ambitions. Anyway, this is an interesting article and one I'd love to hear reflections on from fellow readers.

You're You Everywhere

Lea Woodward writes well and often about being unattached to a place and still making a living. It's called Location Independence. Look into it. Often it's easy to look at a purpose-driven life that's created from one's passions and think "That is the life!" Well, wherever you go, though, there you are. There you are doing the same things, and even though the initial thrills will please you and your travel objectives, we humans are habitual and get into routines, which often feel remarkably similar to those we once had at home...in that stable, stiffling, mundane environment. Wait a minute. Her article isn't to say creating your own lifestyle anywhere in the world is unnecessary because everything's the same everywhere, but it's a "reality check" to make sure you're not in a dream world. Travel and location independence for some is the holy grail, but romanticizing it too much will lead you astray from the realities.

Toxicity Kills the Journey

If I'm honest, I've felt very toxic for the last few months. The acid in my mind (figuratively speaking...) almost felt tangible at moments, and sometimes it takes all the energy you can muster to make those thoughts liquefy and disperse in the name of happiness. This blog from Brave New Traveler, a Matador magazine on the inner thoughts of a traveler, could have been very useful to me in preventing toxicity during my travels.

Update on Nomadderwhere

Since I've been home from the World Traveler Internship, I've begun work on my new website, researched potential projects, and connected with many people interested in my trajectory. My work week is something like 90 hours. I drink a lot of tea. It doesn't feel like work, which means it's the right path, and surprisingly I still don't feel like I have enough hours to progress as far as I'd like.

So what does all this mean for Nomadderwhere?

I'm learning how to write first and write well. Objectives = great subject matter, great blogs, potentially great book material
I've scheduled four different speaking engagements throughout the Northern Indiana area, some directed at photography passionates and professionals. I'm moving from online expression to that of the verbal kind.
The book on my solo RTW has begun its morphing process into a complete idea. It will take many years and many sessions in front of a blank screen...but that end result will come to be.
A new website will be ready and raring by September 23rd that includes more travel advice, suggestions for reading, technology and destination highlights, free city guides, and an even more exciting development for photography.
I have the incredible fortune of cheap travel in the near future, which gives me the perfect chance to create new work on places I've never been or really observed. October is the Mexican Riviera. November is Chicago, Illinois. Who knows if December will hold nothing or a fantastic travel opportunity with a favorite vagabond pal...

I'm a Consumer again!

It's been so long since I got my fill of travel-related news and connected with those fellow travel bloggers I envy and respect ever-so. Here are the things I discovered today that got me all giddy and obsessed. Intelligent Travel Blog: This photo dropped my jaw. I saw one of these guys...but from about two football fields away!

Condé Nast Traveler: This travel inspiration challenge had me thinking since...isn't this what I've been trying to do for a while? I gotta get my ideas flowin' again! Also, something helpful as I'm calculating my budget for the final two weeks of the World Traveler Internship and pinching pennies.

Most Traveled People: With my new travel score, I'm now in 40th for ladies age 20-29 in the World. All I gotta say is...Wabash, Indiana!!! And my Semester at Sea neighbor, David, is still beating people like crazy with nearly 200 regions visited.

Matador Network:

The main idea is basically that you think about who you are–and trust in that–and not be afraid to break in and let all different parts of yourself flow into the writing. There’s already enough boring crap out there. Say what you really need to say.

I liked this article because so many times in this trip, I've wondered if the content I throw out there in a quick and unedited manner is crap or actually more raw and real. I think I've held a solid grasp on my self-awareness throughout, but there's always room for more. This is a good article.

It's also International Blog Against Racism Week, something I'd never heard about until this afternoon. I'll be reading...and I may be writing. Who knows?

Problogger: For some reason, watching this guy's videos just soothes my soul and makes me feel like I've got a shot in hell at getting Nomadderwhere.com off the ground. His video on using google to help you create content and attract readers made me think I could pull in a whole new crowd. His sock drawer video had me pondering my archives and old pieces that represent my pre-aware phase of blogging. Do they work? Hmm, quandary. I think I've been away from my usual fix of this guy's blogging wisdom too long. It all sounds like poetry.

And We're Off!

If you don't know what this icon means, you're WAY behind in the internet game, sir or madam. You should probably just click on it now. Go ahead...I'll wait.

Are you interested in following my trip around the world with Chris Danner and STA? If not, why are you even here?! I'm mean, come on! This is a trip to Fiji, Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe. I'm traveling with a guy I'm meeting TODAY, and I don't have to pay for a thing! We're hitting ten countries in 3 months and meeting thousands of people along the way. If that's not compelling, then someone needs to explain to me the workings of the human mind and the appeal of American Idol.

This could be a turning point for me, the chance for my passion's to hit a large audience and, dare I say, make an impact in the inquiring minds of wishful travelers. I look forward to this opportunity with jittering anticipation, like a dog in much need of a bathroom break outside. Envision that, and that's what I look like right about now. I'm pumped.

Again, please SUBSCRIBE to my posts for this summer by clicking on the image above or the similar orange button on the top right of the site, and get ready to spend this summer trotting the globe with Chris and I through your thoughts and dreams. And, remember that this trip is in desperate need of input and feedback. Make your opinions, questions, and recommendations known through this website or the STA World Traveler Intern website.

Now let's get a move on. To Lewisville, Texas! Oh...and following my twitter might be a smart idea, too.

Another Good Read

Jenn Vargas, in a much appreciated move to satiate my travel reading desires, sent me an article I spent much time reading to the last period. It's about traveling on a budget that above all improves the traveler's experience through connections and relationships with places, people, and purposes.

One of the biggest expenses for a traveler is accommodation. Working (or rather, volunteering) in trade for accommodation – also known as caretaking - is a great way to meet the locals, learn about the land, and get off the beaten path. All the while saving thousands of dollars on places to sleep.

Travel Full-Time for less than $14,000 a Year by Nora Dunn

Wow. I Really Liked this Article.

Makes me feel so...legitimate.

Is the long-term traveler really nothing more than an immature child in others’ eyes? Not a curious soul seeking answers but rather an intellectual teenager, ignorant of the future and focusing only on the pleasure of the moment? I hope so, but not for the reasons you may think.

Turner hit it square on. Check out his entire post on Vagabondish.