Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 51

The Habit of Giving

Happy Memorial Day to all in the U.S., and happy Monday to everyone else.

Today I made a small donation to a cause that inspired me. It wasn’t really because of the holiday, it didn’t cost me much, and I won’t miss the money. Yet, I still felt good after I pushed the button that finalized the commitment.

Notice how selfish this sounds: It felt good to give! I was the one with the benefit.

But this is how it works. The more you give, the better you feel.

Giving is a habit. You cultivate it...

“Make Your Dream Trip a Reality”: Week 4 Recap (Book Your Hotel)

Every day for six weeks, we’re teaching people how to “Make Their Dream Trip a Reality.” You can watch each lesson for free on the day it’s broadcast, or you can purchase the whole course and have access anytime.

This was our fourth week (whoa!) with the in-studio audience and the thousands of people who participated online.

Everyone made lots of progress, and we’ll be back again after the weekend with much more. Here are a few photos from the week:

Goals for Week 4: “Book Your Hote...

Creative Street Posters Show Another Side to Youth Homelessness

I liked this project that highlights the stereotypes many of us have about homeless youth.

If you look at the poster from only one side of the street corner, you see this message:

But if you stand from a different angle and see the other side of the corner, the message becomes something very different:

“There’s another side to the story” is the point of the campaign, which is a great philosophy for life in general.

Hat tip: Creative Review

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Three Things I Know Are True: Taking Risks

I’ve been attempting to find “true north” in a lot of things lately. This series explores what I’ve found to be true in my own life. Your answers will probably differ; the point is to find what’s true for you.

Today’s topic is taking risks. Here are three things I know are true.

1. Most risk is perceived.

For example, it’s not any riskier to work for yourself than it is to work for a company, and it may actually be less risky. Why would you trust someone else with your well-being? Self-emp...

Homeward: Notes from TG 910, Bangkok-London

Greetings from the skies over Helsinki, on-board a well-aged Thai Airways 747 that has two hours remaining in its eleven-hour flight. Last night was Singapore, then a quick hop to Bangkok, and then this uneventful long-haul as I’m nearing London’s Heathrow airport.

I’ve felt strange for much of the trip. It’s been a lot of fun, no doubt, and I’m really glad I went. A trip like this, with four major cities in a week, all separated by 8-13 hours of flying time to each city, reinforces the ben...

Writing 150 Musical Compositions Before Turning 50: Stephen P. Brown’s Quest

This is a quest case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )

Rejection didn’t dampen Stephen P. Brown’s inner fire.Instead, being turned down from achieving something he wanted flamed his desire to grow and change. Here’s his quest.

Introduce yourself.

As a conductor of orchestras, bands, choirs and musicals, it has been my privilege to see thousands of people laugh, cry and directly connect with live music, whatever language they speak. My life journey has taken me from a small village i...

“I’m not running away, I’m running toward”: On the Road with Luke Armstrong

This is a traveler case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )

When we talked to Luke, he told us, “At the age of sixteen I wrote in my journal: ‘Tonight, when I was driving home, I had the desire to point The Bronco in one direction and just keep going and going and going.’”

Many travelers will relate to his stories.

Introduce yourself!

After I ditched my return ticket in Chile and took out a student loan to finance hitchhiking from South America to Alaska, people said, “You’re crazy!” I...

Going to the Movies by Yourself

I’m a big fan of doing things alone. I eat in restaurants alone, I go to faraway places for my birthday alone, and I generally work alone more often than not.

That’s why I’m naturally predisposed to like new research that shows that when you’re by yourself, you shouldn’t just stay at home and avoid activities that you might normally only do with someone else.

“People decide to not do things all the time just because they’re alone,” said Rebecca Ratner, a professor of marketing at the Rober...

Three Things I Know Are True: Exercise

I’ve been attempting to find “true north” in a lot of things lately. This series explores what I’ve found to be true in my own life. Your answers will probably differ; the point is to find what’s true for you.

Today’s topic is exercise. Here are three things I know are true.

1. Medium-distance running is best for me.

I love running 6-10 miles. I can push it to the half-marathon distance (13.1) and if I work up to it over time, I can do 15-18 miles without much pain. But after that, for wha...

Where Airplanes Go to Die: High-Res Photos Show An Airline Graveyard in the Mohave Desert

Photographers Andreana Scanderbeg and Alexander Sauer went to a desert in the American Southwest and found an airline graveyard.

They call their project Decommissioned, and it features images of many of the planes long after their useful life.

Looking at the photos (see larger file sizes on their site), I feel a range of emotions: awe at the miracle of flight, wistful at the decline of these rugged aircraft, and—I’ll admit—a slight concern in wondering if there’s enough room in the desert f...