Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 43
October 24, 2015
Would You Pay $60 to Sit in a Hot Tub? First Look at the First Class Al Safwa Lounge in Doha, Qatar
Yesterday I had the opportunity to be one of the very first passengers in an exclusive airport lounge that finally opened after a year’s worth of delays. This was the Al Safwa lounge in Doha, Qatar, operated by Qatar Airways.
I didn’t go on a press junket or anything ridiculous—I just happened to be staying in Doha for a few days this week. When I heard that the lounge was actually opening (it’s been rumored for months, but with many false alarms), I changed my outbound travel plans a bit an...
October 20, 2015
A 13-Month Round-the-World Trip Booked Entirely On Miles
This is a travel hacking case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )
Matt Schwartz began travel hacking in 2011, and last year quit his job for a dream trip around the world. One of his best buys? An NYC to Bangkok flight for less than $45—in Business Class.
Introduce yourself!
I’m a twenty-something taking a career break from Information Systems to travel the world. Traveling alone has been part of my life since 2010, and I decided to leave my job (for a bit – I plan to go return) in ear...
October 19, 2015
“Bravery is a Choice, Not a Feeling”: Jon Acuff at WDS
In just a few weeks, we’ll release the first round of tickets for WDS 2016, a global gathering like no other!
But first, we’re rolling out a series of speaker videos from the 2015 event. Jon Acuff, bestselling author of Do Over, Start, and several other books, spoke to us about having courage and finding our voice.
He’s also a very funny guy. Check out the video!
“Your voice is never lost; it’s waiting to be uncovered.”
“If we’re honest, sometimes we hide in the busy-ness because we’re a...
October 18, 2015
The Treasure Is Still Out There: Thoughts on Adventure and Scott Dinsmore
A few days ago I went to San Francisco to attend a memorial service for Scott Luckey Dinsmore, who recently died in a tragic accident on Mount Kilimanjaro.
The speakers were all family members and close friends who shared stories of Scott’s life.
My favorite story was about a treasure hunt. Before Scott and his wife Chelsea left on the year-long Round-the-World trip that led them to Kilimanjaro, Scott and one of his friends had planned to go on a treasure hunt. Apparently, it was rumored tha...
October 13, 2015
“Being On the Road Changed Us Forever”: Around the World on Two Bikes in Two Years
This is a traveler case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.)
Avid travelers Jane and Stephen Mountain recently returned to North America after a two-year bicycling trip around the world. Here’s what they learned… and what they’re planning next.
Introduce yourselves!
I’m Jane, and my husband Stephen and I have fallen into a pattern of ditching all the responsibilities of a normal life. It started on our first trip together almost 20 years ago. We backpacked around Europe, fought the enti...
October 12, 2015
The Uneventful Days that Affect Us Forever
“Do human beings ever realize life while they live it—every, every minute?”
-Emily, from Our Town by Thornton Wilder
This past weekend I went back to the city where my brother and I had both lived for a while. In fact, I stayed in the small hotel where I saw him for the last time. That visit was a year or so ago, and when we said goodbye that day he was returning to his home in Washington, D.C. and I to Portland.
Ken had an appreciation for good whiskey, but on our last evening together I di...
October 11, 2015
The More You Improve, The Harder It Gets
I always love a good quest. While flying Southwest Airlines recently (it’s a long story), I happened to pick up the in-flight magazine and read about a guy who’s trying to become a professional golfer.
The whole article is interesting but isn’t the easiest to read in online format. The short version is that Dan, an ordinary guy from my hometown of Portland, Oregon, is trying to become a professional golfer despite never having much of an aptitude for playing golf before.
Dan pursues the qu...
October 9, 2015
Three Days of Learning & Community: Last Weekend at Pioneer Nation
We did it!
Last weekend I worked with a small and dedicated team to produce our second-ever Pioneer Nation, a gathering of independent entrepreneurs.
For the first time in any big event we’ve done, we took everyone onsite for the entire experience. The event was held at The Resort at the Mountain, a scenic setting near Mount Hood, an hour’s drive from Portland.
Events are a ton of work, but they can also be hugely rewarding. Once again I felt honored and inspired to be surrounded by great...
October 7, 2015
Warning Signs That Your Life Lacks a Consistent Vision
You don’t know what to do at the start of the day.
External events determine how you schedule and spend your time. Sure, you eventually jump into something, but your priorities are not your own. You find yourself responding more than initiating.
You are preoccupied with tactics and short-term opportunities.
Instead of seeing the long-term goal, you see only 2-3 steps ahead. You are a tactician instead of a strategist, in other words. There is no master plan.
You are disillusioned with th...
October 6, 2015
“Everyone Gets a Call to Adventure”: On the Road with Erin McElroy
This is a traveler case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )
Erin McElroy decided to take an extended trip to one of the passionate places she could think of: Argentina. Here are some of her stories from the road.
Introduce yourself!
Erin here, born and raised in Chicago, but consider Colorado as home (when I am stateside). I geek out on personal transformation, following passions and the transformative power of nature, adventure and travel.
I believe the hero’s journey is possible for...
