Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 52

The Self-Addressed Envelope We Send to Ourselves

“Every day is like a self addressed envelope we post to ourself. Be careful what you post in it.”

I went through a phase as a kid when I collected autographs from baseball players. It was a pretty short phase—I don’t care much for baseball now—but for a few moths, I spent all my allowance on baseball cards, then consulted a book that listed the addresses of retired players. I’d send off a card to five or ten of them a week, including a note asking for an autograph, along with a self-address...

“Make Your Dream Trip a Reality”: Week 3 Recap (Book Your Flight)

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 third week 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 of the studio:

Goals for Week 3: “Book Your Flight”

For t...

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XLIV

I. Around the World

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Cat Cinema? It’s a Thing — Can you think of anything better than going to a movie with your feline friend? Memorable Ways People Have Quit Their Jobs — Thinking of quitting your job? Here are some fun ideas Conquer Your Daily Tasks — An app that turns your To-Do list into a game Self-Esteem Might Be the Wrong Answer — There might be an even better option Looking for a Literary...

Make History by Eating Breakfast: Join Us for an All-New World Record

Link: Eat Waffles, Set a World Record (YES!)

When was the last time you broke a world record by eating breakfast?

Never, that’s when.

But fortunately for you, that’s all about to change.

This summer, whether you’re attending WDS or not, if you can make it to Portland on Friday, July 10, you can become a world record holder—and this time, the task required couldn’t be easier.

What It’s All About

600 Portlanders and travelers from around the world will come together to celebrate community, ad...

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XLIII

I. Around the World

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Virtual Tour of New SAS Business Class Cabin — The Scandinavian carrier updates its seats and shows them off in this fun “street view” tour The Ultimate European Road-Trip — Using open-source Google Maps data, you can customize this trip to suit your own style Base Jumping off the World’s Second Tallest Tower — Watch crazy people jump off a building in Dubai One Bike One Year...

“Make Your Dream Trip a Reality”: Week 2 Recap (Earning Points & Miles)

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 second week with our 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 of the studio:

Goals for Week 2: “Make Your Plan”

For t...

100 People Share Their Experiences Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

I saw this trailer a few weeks ago, and immediately watched it three times in a row.

The full film is out now, and it’s completely free to watch. Fair warning, though: some of you will watch this and make a decision that will affect up to five months of your life.

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a 2,600-mile hike and rite of passage for several hundred people every year, and thousands who complete portions of it.

These days I’m mostly a soft adventurer. I watch videos like this and think...

Around the World on a Yellow Motorcycle: Leon Logothetis’ Quest

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

Some people like a challenge. Some like a really big challenge.

Leon Logothetis went for big when he decided to travel around the world, fueled only by the kindness of people he’d never met.

Introduce yourself and your quest.

I was born in London, where I worked as a broker. But I felt disconnected and uninspired with my pursuit of a traditional life. So I quit my job and moved to America.

My quest was to travel from Los Angeles...

WDS Academies Now Live: Join Us in Portland This Summer, Even if You Haven’t Registered for WDS

Link: WDS 2015 Academy Schedule (Registration Open)

Hey everyone,

If you’re joining us in Portland for WDS this summer—or even if you haven’t planned to—you can now sign up for your choice of eleven Academies, which are half-day workshops on specific topics, taught by some of our most popular alumni speakers.

Check out this video for what it’s all about —

This Year’s Academies

For the 2015 sessions, we’re bringing back some crowd favorites, especially Jonathan Fields and Pam Slim, who have...

Three Things I Know Are True: Writing Books

I’ve been attempting to find “true north” in a lot of things lately. This new series explores what I believe in different areas of work and life. Your answers may differ; the point is to find what’s true for you.

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

1. The basic process is easier than most people think.

As I’ve explained before, it’s not that hard to write a book. A book is composed of a number of chapters and words. If you break down the process in a lo...