Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 77

Saving the Ocean, One State at a Time: Jennifer Idol’s Quest

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

Passion is a key component of finding a quest or adventure. Jennifer Idol’s love for the ocean led her to seek out a wayin which she could devote a large portion of her life as an advocate for its preservation.

Tell us about yourself:

I’m a native Texan who spent my summers growing up in Florida, which led to me becoming a SCUBA diver. Then I graduated with a degree in design from the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas....

WDS 2014 Speaker: Jadah Sellner on Saying Your Dreams Out Loud

Next week we’ll release the first round of tickets for WDS 2015, a global gathering like no other!

But first, over the next few days we’ll be rolling out a different speaker video every day. Jadah Sellner gave us a timely reminder to “Say our dreams out loud” by sharing her sometimes bumpy journey to successful business owner of Simple Green Smoothies.

“I want to show up in the world full of energy, ready to play, like a child with no fear.”

Want to Join Us Next Year? Here’s How Ticket Sales Wor...

WDS 2014 Speaker: Scott Berkun on Honoring Your Creative Voice

Next week we’ll release the first round of tickets for WDS 2015, a global gathering like no other!

But first, we’re rolling out a different speaker video every day. Scott Berkun, bestselling author of A Year Without Pants, Mindfire, and several other books spoke to us about honoring our voice and nurturing our creative ideas. Check out the video!

“How can you possibly expect to be a maker or stuff if you’re afraid of your own ideas?”

Want to Join Us Next Year? Here’s How Ticket Sales Work

Every...

WDS 2014 Speaker: A.J. Jacobs on Our Global Family

Next week we’ll release the first round of tickets for WDS 2015, a global gathering like no other!

But first, over the next few days we’ll be rolling out a different speaker video every day. A.J. Jacobs, the bestselling author of The Know-It-All, The Year of Living Biblically, and several other books, was our opening anchor speaker.

A.J. spoke to us about how we’re all related, and he did a great job of getting everyone ready for the rest of the weekend. Check out the video!

“Humans have a tend...

Tinkering on the Margins of Small Arguments

“I had no good reason not to take it up,” he said of a big decision. “And it kind of terrified me to imagine myself spending the rest of my life tinkering on the margins of the small arguments.”

Link: Embrace the Irony

Image: Ed

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XVIII

I. Around the World

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

Dear Podcaster — All the things (well, some of them) you need to know when interviewing a guest. I’m on guest on several podcasts each week and couldn’t agree more with this post
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Aircraft Tail Numbers — And maybe some things you didn’t!
The Real Value of Bitcoin — This animated film shows how alternative currency can change the world for...

“Life is About Human Connection”: On the Road with Cindy Cihuelo

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

Cindy’s life experiences include living in her home country of France, plus living abroad in America, China, and most recently, Thailand.We asked her to share some of her experiences in moving around over the past several years.

Tell us about yourself.

At age 15, I left my beloved France for an exchange student experience in America. What followed was insatiable wanderlust. I found myself studying abroad in China during college,...

Lessons from the Journey: “All You Have to Do Is Put One Foot in Front of the Other”

From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons.

Lesson: “All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.”

Most quests consist of a set of milestones that take a long time to reach. To stay on track, choose forward motion—keep making choices that bring you closer to the goal, even if it seems like rea...

New: No Annual Fee on 50,000 British Airways Avios Offer

Link: 50,000 Points for British Airways Card – Now With No First-Year Annual Fee

As of this weekend, Chase has begun waiving the annual fee during the first year for its British Airways Signature Card. You can now earn 50,000 Avios points (more on that in a moment) after completing a $2,000 minimum spend in three months, with no annual fee in the first year.

In addition to the signup bonus, the card also offers the following benefits:

Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your B...

Giveaway: Cathay Pacific First Class Sleep Suit

Every Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win!

Happy Halloween! This weekend we’re giving away the perfect Halloween costume—a Cathay Pacific First Class Sleep Suit! And if you don’t receive it in time for trick-or-treating, you can still recover from the holiday by lounging in this sleepy uniform.

What you need to know:

This snoozy getup is offered in a men’s medium (it’s a fairly loose medium, and will fit both men and women in a variety of body shapes)
This Superhero Sleep Suit is 100% Cotton
C...