Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 54

“Most Ambitions Belong to the Past”: Reflections on A Neurosurgeon’s Final Year of Life

I recently stumbled upon an essay from Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon who died earlier this year at the age of 37.

I read the whole thing several times and was struck by several passages, including this one:

“Everyone succumbs to finitude. I suspect I am not the only one who reaches this pluperfect state. Most ambitions are either achieved or abandoned; either way, they belong to the past.

The future, instead of the ladder toward the goals of life, flattens out into a perpetual present. Mo...

“Happiness Depends on You”: On the Road with Scott Bold and Michelle Eshleman

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

Dreams can change, as was the case of Scott Bold’s childhood dream. The younger Scott wanted a good job and decent salary, but his adult self wanted something else. So along with his girlfriend Michelle Eshleman, they set out on a different course.

Introduce yourselves.

I’m Scott, and my girlfriend is Michelle. We were both working successful but stressful jobs (engineering for me, counseling for her) in Washington, DC. I had...

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XLI

I. Around the World

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

Momentum — A new community from longtime friend Jenny Blake Traveling Is Exhausting — Alyssa’s notes on adventuring through Europe 27 Sites with Royalty-Free Stock Images — Tons of photos for your blog posts or social media My Creative Burnout — The author of “How to Survive Creative Burnout” navigates a setback When Is Cheryl’s Birthday? — A math problem from Singapore (aaaa...

Big in Japan: The $100 Startup Is Now in Manga!

I haven’t spent nearly enough time in Japan, but we have a great community there and I hope to visit more often in the future. When the local version of The $100 Startup came out two years ago, it was a mega-bestseller, selling 100,000 copies in a short period of time.

I went over for a 36-hour visit that consisted of meeting journalists and talking to business magazines. In the evening we had a small meetup with friends (hosted by M.E. Hori, a popular blogger) and I left thinking: “I should...

Giveaway: Win a “Boarding Tote Bag”

Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win!

Win a Boarding tote from Airportag, an online business started by “Captain Greg”—a flight lover and designer who got creative with the world of airport codes and made a fun shop.

You can find a ton of airports represented on totes, coffee mugs, and pillows over at Airporttag. Naturally, I have a lot of favorite airports, so it would be hard for me to choose a single one… but on the tote bag page, I especially like the styles of MEX, BKK, LHR, and LAX....

30 Peaks Before Age 30: Ashley Gossen’s Quest

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

InThe Sound of Music, Mother Reverend sang “Climb every mountain.” We’re not suggesting that was Ashley Gossen’s inspiration for tackling 30 peaks before her 30th birthday—but it came to mind when we heard her story.

See if you wind up wanting to hum along.

Introduce yourself and your quest.

I’ve been fascinated by mountains and the outdoors since I was a little girl growing up in rural Pennsylvania. As I got older, I dreamed abo...

Hate Paying Taxes? It Could Be a Lot Worse: You Might Not Have to Pay Them

I do wish it were simpler. I was surprised last year to learn that .

Part of it is my own fault: I keep starting new businesses and entities. I have a tax return for my career as an author, another for my entrepreneurial work, another for WDS, another for the WDS Foundation (a separate organization), and now another for Pioneer Nation. Who knows what else I’ll have next year!

Why can’t Amazon or Apple figure this out for the federal government? Imag...

No Money, But a Rich Life: On the Road with Nate Maingard

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

What’s it like to live and work as a nomadic, traveling musician who relies on crowd-sourced support? We found a guy doing exactly that. Here are his stories from three continents and counting.

Introduce yourself.

I was raised barefoot and wild on the tip of South Africa, in a little village called Scarborough. My early days were spent in my father’s guitar making workshop as he crafted some of the world’s top custom guitars....

To Cross the Railroad Tracks, Go Against Everything You’ve Been Told

One time, long ago, I had a hard year while living in Memphis, Tennessee.

Ever since then, especially when I’ve been at events throughout the south, I’ve met a lot of people who also lived in Memphis for a time. When the subject comes up, once in a while I mention something about my hard year there, and I always add a disclaimer: “Probably it was just me.”

There are good people everywhere, and you never want to insult someone’s city. More than once, though, they’ve said “I had a hard year...

5,000 Word Travel Hacking Resources Page Now Available

Over the past ten years I’ve used millions of Frequent Flyer Miles & Points to go everywhere—literally, everywhere.

I write a lot about travel hacking in the archives and also through our paid service, the Travel Hacking Cartel, which has served more than 16,000 members and counting.

I’m also co-teaching a brand-new bootcamp called Make Your Dream Trip a Reality, which you can watch for free every weekday morning for six weeks starting on April 26.

If that’s not enough, we recently publishe...