Rolf Potts's Blog, page 6
October 15, 2015
Vagabonding Case Study: Benny Lewis
Age: 33
Hometown: Cavan, Ireland
Quote: “There are seven days in a week, and “some day” isn’t one of them.”
How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?
I read the book several years into my travels, based on recommendations from other travelers and despite already being a pretty seasoned traveler, I did like a lot of the ways the concepts were explained in the book and it’s helped me to verbalize my own thoughts on travel and express them better.
How long were you on the road?
Over twelve years so far, and it continues.
Where all did you go?
Spain (2 years), France (1 year), Brazil (1 year), USA (almost 2 years), Italy (7 months), Germany (9 months), Quebec (3 months), Taiwan (3 months), China (2 months), Argentina (3 months), Czech Republic (3 months), UK (3 months), India (3 months), Thailand (3 months), Indonesia (1 month), Australia (3 months). I’ve also briefly visited Mexico, Uruguay, Poland, Austria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, and Slovakia but I prefer to live in one city for several months.
What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?
I’ve had dozens of jobs, mostly teaching English, but also working in youth hostels, teaching Mathematics, working in several shops (once a yoga shop), bunch of office jobs, engineering internships etc. Then I switched to location independent work, as a freelance translator of engineering documents, since I have a degree in Electronic Engineering. For most of the last years, I have been earning as an author and through my blog and speaking engagements / consultations.
Did you work or volunteer on the road?
I volunteered as first-aid assistant once, but other than that have had to work paid jobs most of the time. Volunteering is definitely something I’ll be focusing on later.
Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?
Brazil. I love the people and culture so much! My Portuguese is good so I get to talk to everyone in-depth whenever I’m in Brazil and they are genuinely the nicest people I have come across.
Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?
Paris was all three. The purpose of my travels are to become fluent in the local language and I have been very successful everywhere I have been by avoiding English speakers and socializing just with locals. Paris was the only place that made this very difficult. It took me a long time to figure out how to get on Parisians’ good side, while still being able to socialize with them in French.
Did any of your pre-trip worries or concerns come true? Did you run into any problems or obstacles that you hadn’t anticipated?
The main obstacles you will find are cultural misunderstandings, which are even more evident when you have a language barrier to get through and refuse to give in and hang out with other English speakers to simplify things!
I spent the vast majority of my travels alone, and this made it really hard to make friends when moving quickly. Luckily, I now travel with my partner and much prefer it this way!
Which travel gear proved most useful? Least useful?
My laptop/smartphone is the most useful. Love reading on my Kindle, since “dead tree” books are impractical if you move so much.
What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?
Really getting to know the local culture beyond restaurants with English-printed menus. I actually like being a “tourist” though, but I prefer to see typical monuments from a modern local, rather than historical, perspective.
Also, since I can speak several languages now, this will be something that will stay with me forever! When I meet non-English-native travelers, they are always appreciative of being able to speak their own language out of home.
What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?
The social aspect of it is tough. My main sacrifice was to give up English entirely to ensure I have a more authentic experience (most friends I make in the country would not even speak any English). It’s frustrating to know that I could easily go down to a hostel and hang out with like-minded people and be able to relate to them much more, rather than struggle through a different language in the initial stages, but the long-term benefits of this sacrifice last a lifetime!
What lessons did you learn on the road?
The typical ones like listen more to learn more, life is too short to worry about the little things, friends and family are the most important things in the world etc. I go home regularly and always look forward to it. As far as languages go, I’ve learned that putting yourself out there and speaking them with locals will have you speak them quicker and everyone (apart from Parisians until you learn how to work them…) will hugely appreciate it and give you tons of encouragement.
How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip?
I can’t say I use the term much myself. I prefer “technomad” since I’m still highly reliant on technology for work, building a social circle (via Couchsurfing etc.) and generally being a 21st century nomad!
If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?
Actually nothing – I have no regrets! I’ve made a huge amount of mistakes in the early parts of my travels, but it has all helped me to learn. I feel great that I wouldn’t have changed one bit of it!
Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?
Stop thinking about it too much. All the worrying about travel problems, inability to speak the local language etc. is never going to help you. Leaving a little up to serendipity and being spontaneous will give you the best experiences by far! All negative experiences I have had have turned out to be hilarious stories later, and improved me as a person.
When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey?
Every 3 months I change my home and move to a new city in a new country to attempt to learn the language or discover something interesting about the culture. I’ll be coming up to doing this for 13 years, and I think it’s time I finally got a base somewhere, so I’ll look for that and then change my travel lifestyle to be the much more reasonable one of not traveling with everything I own in the world. I can’t wait for that new way of doing it, that most people take for granted! I don’t know where I’ll be yet though. That’s the adventure!
Read more about Benny on his website, Fluent In 3 Months.
Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.
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Image: Giuseppe Milo (flickr)
Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Case Study: Benny Lewis
October 13, 2015
Want to travel the world full time like I do? Prepare to be uncomfortable.
Nearly nine years ago, I made the most drastic decision of my life. I walked away from 36 years of corporate life to pursue a career as a travel writer and photographer. I remember very clearly the day I left the U.S. I was exhausted from years of working 70 hour weeks and excited to start a new phase in my life, but most of all I was terrified. Although I’d traveled all my life, like most Americans, the majority of my international travel had been to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean; I’d only truly been “overseas” once in my life. For the next six months, I would travel alone through 16 different countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Terrible photo of me, taken with my laptop camera at Los Angeles International Airport in 2007, as I was waiting to take off on my six-month round-the-world trip. I was exhausted and scared of what lay ahead.
Things went wrong on my very first night. After checking into my budget hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I asked the desk clerk where I could find a wifi connection. He pointed me to an Internet cafe down the street, where I happily plinked away on my laptop for a few hours. Shortly after midnight, I headed back to my hotel. The street I stepped out onto bore no resemblance to the one I had walked just a few hours earlier. Metal doors had been rolled down over the fronts of all the businesses, including my hotel. After a few moments of panic, survival mode kicked in. At worst, I would need to spend the night in another hotel and return the next morning to retrieve my luggage. Fortunately, the owner of one of the few shops that was still open came to my rescue. He pounded on the door until a bleary-eyed night watchman rolled up the door to admit me. At that moment, I knew that everything was going to be fine. I realized there was nothing to fear, that I would always be able to work my way through any challenge that presented itself.
Vietnam was unlike anything I had ever experienced,, but I adapted quickly and embraced the experience
More concerning was the financial aspect of what I was attempting. With limited savings at my disposal I chose the cheapest possible accommodations, staying in $5-10 per night hostel dorms where cockroaches were more common than bunkmates. I chose places that included a free breakfast, ate as much as I could, and sneaked rolls and cheese into my pockets for lunch. For dinners I hit the local bakeries, existing on slices of quiche or pizza. Unable to sustain a mortgage payment, I sold my house and moved into a small apartment, but soon I was traveling more than I was home, so three years into my journey I gave up my apartment as well. My fallback was family and friends with whom I could stay if necessary.
I had no home base, no furniture, and few possessions, but I still couldn’t let go of my car. For eleven months each year, it sat on the street in front of my friend’s house in Atlanta, waiting for my annual holiday visit. Two years ago, I arrived back in the States to find that the tires had rotted away from sitting in the sun. Six-hundred dollars and a set of new tires later I decided to sell the car as well. Finally, I was a complete and true digital nomad who would travel the world full time with no home base.
“Humans are remarkably versatile creatures. We can get used to almost anything. After nearly nine years of traveling, what once seemed daunting and scary has simply become my norm.”
Getting to this point was a process. With each step, I became more willing to let go of material possessions and what others would call security. Prior to my initial six-month trip, I purchased an around-the-world flight, booked every hotel in advance, and prepared a multi-page document with lists of what to see and do. Nowadays, I do no research. I book a one-way ticket to whatever continent I want to explore and book one or two nights in my arrival city, then spend months traveling around by bus, train, ferry, or shared rides with no pre-planned itinerary. I stay in one place until I’ve seen everything of interest, then decide where to go next. My accommodations are generally booked the day before I arrive in a new destination.
Want to travel the world full time like I do? Prepare to be uncomfortable.
October 8, 2015
The difference: living well vs. doing well
In March of 1989, the Exxon Valdez struck a reef off the coast of Alaska, resulting in the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Initially viewed as an ecological disaster, this catastrophe did wonders to raise environmental awareness among average Americans. As television images of oil-choked sea otters and dying shore birds were beamed across the country, pop-environmentalism grew into a national craze.
Instead of conserving more and consuming less, however, many Americans sought to save the earth by purchasing “environmental” products. Energy-efficient home appliances flew off the shelves, health food sales boomed, and reusable canvas shopping bags became vogue in strip malls from Jacksonville to Jackson Hole. Credit card companies began to earmark a small percentage of profits for conservation groups, thus encouraging consumers to “help the environment” by striking off on idealistic shopping binges.
Such shopping sprees and health food purchases did absolutely nothing to improve the state of the planet, of course — but most people managed to feel a little better about the situation without having to make any serious lifestyle changes.
This notion — that material investment is somehow more important to life than personal investment — is exactly what leads so many of us to believe we could never afford to go vagabonding. The more our life options get paraded around as consumer options, the more we forget that there’s a difference between the two. Thus, having convinced ourselves that buying things is the only way to play an active role in the world, we fatalistically conclude that we’ll never be rich enough to purchase a long-term travel experience.
Fortunately, the world need not be a consumer product. As with environmental integrity, long-term travel isn’t something you buy into: it’s something you give to yourself.
Indeed, the freedom to go vagabonding has never been determined by income level, but through simplicity — the conscious decision of how to use what income you have.
And, contrary to popular stereotypes, seeking simplicity doesn’t require that you become a monk, a subsistence forager, or a wild-eyed revolutionary. Nor does it mean that you must unconditionally avoid the role of consumer. Rather, simplicity merely requires a bit of personal sacrifice: an adjustment of your habits and routines within consumer society itself.
“Our crude civilization engenders a multitude of wants… Our forefathers forged chains of duty and habit, which bind us notwithstanding our boasted freedom, and we ourselves in desperation, add link to link, groaning and making medicinal laws for relief.”
— John Muir, Kindred and Related Spirits
At times, the biggest challenge in embracing simplicity will be the vague feeling of isolation that comes with it, since private sacrifice doesn’t garner much attention in the frenetic world of mass culture.
Jack Kerouac’s legacy as a cultural icon is a good example of this. Arguably the most famous American vagabonder of the 20th century, Kerouac vividly captured the epiphanies of hand-to-mouth travel in books like On the Road and Lonesome Traveler. In Dharma Bums, he wrote about the joy of living with people who blissfully ignore “the general demand that they consume production and therefore have to work for the privilege of consuming, all that crap they didn’t really want…general junk you always see a week later in the garbage anyway, all of [it] impersonal in a system of work, produce, consume.”
Despite his observance of material simplicity, however, Kerouac found that his personal life – the life that had afforded him the freedom to travel – was soon overshadowed by a more fashionable (and marketable) public vision of his travel lifestyle. Convertible cars, jazz records, marijuana (and, later, Gap khakis), ultimately came to represent the mystical “It” that he and Neal Cassidy sought in On the Road. As his Beat cohort William S. Burroughs was to point out years after his death, part of Kerouac’s mystique became inseparable from the idea that he “opened a million coffee bars and sold a million pairs of Levi’s to both sexes.”
In some ways, of course, coffee bars, convertibles and marijuana are all part of what made travel appealing to Kerouac’s readers. That’s how marketing (intentional and otherwise) works. But these aren’t the things that made travel possible for Kerouac. What made travel possible was that he knew how neither self nor wealth can be measured in terms of what you consume or own. Even the downtrodden souls on the fringes of society, he observed, had something the rich didn’t: Time.
This notion – the notion that “riches” don’t necessarily make you wealthy – is as old as society itself. The ancient Hindu Upanishads refer disdainfully to “that chain of possessions wherewith men bind themselves, and beneath which they sink”; ancient Hebrew scriptures declare that “whoever loves money never has money enough.” Jesus noted that it’s pointless for a man to “gain the whole world, yet lose his very self”, and the Buddha whimsically pointed out that seeking happiness in one’s material desires is as absurd as “suffering because a banana tree will not bear mangoes.”
Despite several millennia of such warnings, however, there is still an overwhelming social compulsion – an insanity of consensus, if you will – to get rich from life rather than live richly, to “do well” in the world instead of living well. And, in spite of the fact that America is famous for its unhappy rich people, most of us remain convinced that just a little more money will set life right. In this way, the messianic metaphor of modern life becomes the lottery – that outside chance that the right odds will come together to liberate us from financial worries once and for all.
“Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing…”
— Walt Whitman, “Song of the Open Road”
Fortunately, we were all born with winning tickets – and cashing them in is a simple matter of altering our cadence as we walk through the world. Vagabonding sage Ed Buryn knew as much: “By switching to a new game, which in this case involves vagabonding, time becomes the only possession and everyone is equally rich in it by biological inheritance. Money, of course, is still needed to survive, but time is what you need to live. So, save what little money you possess to meet basic survival requirements, but spend your time lavishly in order to create the life values that make the fire worth the candle. Dig?”
Dug. And the bonus to all of this is that – as you of sow your future with rich fields of time – you are also planting the seeds of personal growth that will gradually bloom as you travel into the world.
Excerpted from Tim Ferris’ blog, originally published 10/05/12
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Image: Chris Hunkeler (flickr)
Original article can be found here: The difference: living well vs. doing well
October 6, 2015
The magic of shoulder season travel
Soon after my time as a student ended, I began my career as an educator. Working at camps every summer, travel took flight over those much needed school holidays. If you were a kid in traditional school or had parents who worked in one, you may have done the same. Highest prices, hordes of crowds, long wait lines at airports and attractions – it seemed as if everyone was always in a rush. But, at that time of life, if I wanted to travel to destinations of my optimal weather, that was a side effect. Needless to say, ‘I get it’. I didn’t have the luxury of flexibility at that time. Today, things are different and I’ve learned some of the benefits of off and shoulder season travel. If you can swing it, your experience will be markedly different.
This last year, life changed. Choosing to ditch the New York winter for southern California sunshine has been a perspective shift like no other. Grabbing a shorter flight to our second home, Melbourne (Australia) in winter knowing that an endless summer is in store has been a game changer. There’s much to be said about shoulder and off-season travel. Now, I understand all the fuss.
Snuggled between the insanity of peak season and the crummy weather of low or off-season travel is Shoulder Season. It’s a campsite at a National Park not on Memorial Day weekend. It’s a room in Sydney, not on New Years’ Eve. To me, shoulder season seems like September on the beach. The crowds leave while quiet ensues. Only the locals and a smattering of tourists are left with miles of sand from one beach chair to the next. This is the time locals in a beach town yearn for yearly. Parking spots open up, restaurants are quieter and the only sound heard on the beach is the waves crashing against the shore. This, I understand.
Filled with warmer welcomes and shorter queues, shoulder season offers travelers willing to take slightly less than perfect weather – special deals, less harried locals, and a limited sea of tourists. When the crowds vanish, the offers arise. Desirable prices and deal able weather are sought after treasures. With a chance to take a breath, the tourism industry greets shoulder season travelers with that extra bit of courtesy. As the traveler whose only opportunity was Peak season, I had no idea.
My first experience with other than peak season travel in the United States was this past December. Road-tripping from New York to California for the first three weeks of the month, we saw barely any other people until we landed in southern Utah just shy of Christmas. Choosing to drive south across the country (to hopefully find less snow), we were met with unencumbered roadways, no lines at attractions, quiet hotel lobbies, scenic National Parks devoid of crowds and tours with few other guests. In other words, when we got to Las Vegas on the 24th of December, it was as if we landed on another planet altogether. The number of people in the lobby alone was more than a hundred times the amount we’d seen our entire drive.
First indications of this different season are at an airport when the absurd crowds don’t smack you in the face. Second is the greater ability to grab those camera specific wide-open scenic shots without fighting the hordes of Selfie stick-wielding tourists vying for the same image. Third is the lack of noise. Able to get better value for your money than those hectic periods of peak and high seasons, the few months on either side allows an ease in travel. Slower steps, shorter wait times, better pricing, and more uninterrupted time with locals create a more relaxed approach to your journey. Less hassle tends towards greater joy.
My first on the other side of the world was this past August. I’d never visited Australia in winter before. This warm-weather fan living in New York ventured in December or February to the land down under to continue to chase the sun and grab that much preferred Vitamin D. This time, southern California provided both, so an August visit took place. Flights were drastically cheaper, accommodation options exploded with prices more in line with expectations, staff were less harried, people were more available and our favourite spots welcomed us with even greater open arms. Yes, it’s true, I needed a jacket for the stroll on the beach instead of bathers and our morning walks involved gloves and hot chocolate instead of shorts and smoothies, but they still happened. There were new experiences to enjoy as well. The Winter Night Market at the Queen Victoria Market had significantly different vendors from the summer one and tourist attractions that we’d never set foot in on any prior visit called to us with discount offerings and easy access. We even got to take in different sporting events since the seasons were flipped.
Of course, there are pros and cons to every season, but for price and access, it’s hard to beat the magical quiet shoulder season. Consult the guidebooks and a calendar for your desired specific region and timing of those travel seasons to help find the best deals for you. No matter when you go or where, for that extra piece of mind, please take travel insurance. In my experience, travel has more pros than cons, no matter the season. Minds are opened, experiences change people and memories are shared between family, friends and strangers who might one day become friends. Shoulder season invites a bit more time for natural, openness and introspection and provides the ability for travelers to go at their own pace, truly savour those moments and further enjoy the journey.
Happy travels.
For more of Stacey’s musings visit her website.
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Original article can be found here: The magic of shoulder season travel
October 2, 2015
3 Ultimate Adventures
Adventures help us grow. When we push ourselves past our fears and attempt something new and exciting, we learn more about ourselves.
Throughout the years, through all my travels, I have always pushed myself to seek out adventure. I have to be honest, at times it has made me reach beyond my boundaries and tested my limits, but it also has made me a stronger and more rounded traveler.
The world is full of the unknown and the best way to learn about it, and also about yourself, is to experience everything it has to offer.
Here are three ultimate adventures that will help you face your fears while enjoying the ride.
The Mongol Rally
Fathom for a minute the sheer enormity of the Mongol Rally.
This epic adventure starts by jumping into an old jalopy in London, England with the hopes and determination to make it to the finish line in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. As you race down the road, you find yourself in amazing forgotten places of the world, small quaint villages, and desolate plains that haven’t seen a living soul for months.
The words “off the beaten path” don’t even start to describe the Mongol Rally. It is one of the most rewarding adventures I have ever accomplished and it changed my entire perspective. From shopping in markets that hadn’t seen a white person in years to discovering villages so rugged that they were not even on a map, this is one unique and awesome experience.
Even everyday problems became an adventure. When something went wrong with our car, and it often did, we would have to draw diagrams and play charades to get a mechanic to understand what we were trying to say. Plus, it can be said, that driving nonstop for a month and a half can make you go a little mad, but every second of the Mongol Rally is worth it.
I spent my days driving and hanging out with other ralliers, while my nights were filled with camping under skies so clear that even the arms of the Milky Way were visible. It is an adventure I recommend to my readers often.
Skydiving in New Zealand
There are thousands of places to skydive all over the world; however, I found skydiving in New Zealand something very special. Falling 15,000 feet over this glorious landscape takes your breath away.
As the wind rushed by my face and the sound of the plane drifted into the distance, I was filled with awe by my surroundings.
Below me were crystal blue waters. To the left, fields of bright green grass. On my right, the beautiful jutting Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings. It was a remarkable experience.
I think skydiving is an adventure everyone should enjoy, and taking your first dive with Skydive Taupo in New Zealand will give you a top of the line experience.
Running of the bulls
The running of the bulls is possibly the biggest adventure of my life so far. I wrestled my thoughts and pushed down my nerves as I stood on a narrow street filled with eager spectators.
Suddenly, a canon broke in the distance, and for a brief moment everything went still. Then, as quick as a massive, gushing wave on the sea, people streamed from behind me and suddenly the street was filled with energy.
Within seconds, I heard the jingling bells mixed with the sound of hooves hitting the cobblestones. I looked behind and saw as the crowd parted, a herd of bulls as high as my chin.
Their razor-sharp horns jutted out of their heads seeming as if they were pointing straight at me. My instincts immediately kicked in and drove all doubting thoughts aside and I began to run. Boxed in a tiny, overflowing street,
I found myself dodging dozens of men that were racing just to stay ahead of the crowd. A couple of times, I felt the bulls bearing down and breathing heavily behind me.
I would dodge and see them sprint on by with another target in mind. I never have felt more adrenaline in my life and I am not likely to feel it again. It was an adventure that made me stronger and braver and one that I would recommend to those seeking an extreme adventurer.
It is something that many must try at least once in their life.
These grand adventures have changed who I am as a person and even the direction that my life has taken. Not only will I never forget the adventure, I also will never forget the anticipation, fighting the good fight of doubt, and overcoming the fears that led to sweet triumph.
Adventures are apart of living. Through them we learn, reach, and grow. We find that we are stronger than we imagined and are able to accomplish the unexpected to achieve the goal. There is no better way, in my opinion, to learn about who we are than by stepping out and enjoying the adventure.
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Stephen Schreck is the creator and writer of A Backpackers Tale – Travel Blog. He is on a personal quest to face his fears and have adventures around the world. Or follow his journey of Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Original article can be found here: 3 Ultimate Adventures
October 1, 2015
Vagabonding Case Study: Adam Groffman
Age: 30
Hometown: From the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, though I lived in Boston for a while before leaving the USA. Now I live in Berlin, Germany
Quote: Jack Kerouac, “the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars”
How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?
It was one of two travel books I read while planning my trip around the world. I loved it so much, I ended up gifting it to another friend immediately since she was also planning to quit her job and travel. Spoiler: we both ended up traveling!
How long were you on the road?
I left Boston for a trip that I thought would last a year. Instead, it was almost 16 months of traveling around the world.
Where did you go?
I didn’t travel to as many places as I originally planned, but rather traveled slow and took things as they came. It started with a month in southern Spain, then to Morocco and Egypt before passing into Jordan, Israel and Palestine. When I was in Tel Aviv, rather than continue on to Turkey, I decided to volunteer at an Israeli-Palestinian NGO and spent the next four months learning all I could about the complicated region. After my volunteer internship, I left for India to try and find some solace in humanity before continuing on to Southeast Asia – backpacking in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In Vietnam, my $20,000 travel budget was on its last legs, so on the spur of the moment, I booked a ticket to Berlin, Germany with plans to backpack Europe. But I ended up never leaving Berlin…
What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?
I’d spent the year before my travel saving money and selling most of my possessions. I was able to save up $20,000 with the explicit purpose of using it just on this travel adventure. It was my entire savings but I figured, at 25, I could use some adventure.
Did you work or volunteer on the road?
I only took one volunteer job, spending four months working at the Geneva Initiative in Tel Aviv — an Israeli/Palestinian NGO. It wasn’t in my original travel plans, but after visiting the region, I was so curious and so determined to make a difference.
Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?
This is an impossible question to answer but one that everyone seems to want to know! I’ve had a lot of favorite places around the world over the years. Ask anybody when I’m new in town and I’ll almost always declare my current location as “the best place ever!” (I’m pretty easy to please, guys!) But during my RTW (round-the-world) adventure, there were some stand-out destinations:
Israel was incredibly important because I learned so much…about myself, about the region, about history and about politics.
India was truly amazing. There’s no place on earth like it and though it was often challenging, in hindsight it was probably one of the few destinations that ever had a serious impact on my life philosophy. India made a big difference in defining who I am.
Cambodia was one of the most surprising countries I visited. I didn’t expect to fall in love with the country, but thanks to some amazing travel buddies, some delicious meals and some truly humbling experiences, leaving Cambodia left me with a hole in my heart.
If Cambodia was surprising, Vietnam was even more so. The stories about Vietnam range from the horrible to the delightful, but thanks to some gracious hosts (family relatives, actually), I really enjoyed my time there. Plus the food can’t be beat!
Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?
India was an incredible challenge, partly because I was visiting after an intense few months in the Middle East, but also because the country has its own intensity to it—the noises, crowds, people. It can be overwhelming. It took time for me to adjust to India and find a balance, but I ended up loving it.
Which travel gear proved most useful? Least useful?
I didn’t travel with much special “travel gear” but rather with my usual stuff. I did keep a shoelace looped around my wrist for much of the travels, though, and I’d use it to secure things to me while sleeping on trains. It was a pretty lousy deterrent but served as a sort of security blanket.
What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?
Traveling like that was an incredible experience – not always easy and not always fun, but I learned so much about myself and the world. I came away with a whole new perspective on life.
What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?
Leaving behind family and friends is never easy, and the return to a life back home can be a struggle. For myself, I never really returned home and instead ended up as an expat in Europe.
What lessons did you learn on the road?
I definitely learned the value in calmness, in talking to people, in experiencing the world around me. One lesson I came away with that I really like to talk about is that it’s important to spend money on yourself, to live impulsively and to take some time and money to really do whatever it is you want. Live out those secret desires and unspoken plans. It’s totally liberating.
How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip?
Pretty much within a week of leaving behind my life in Boston, I realized the entire itinerary I’d written up was useless. I started moving slower, figuring out things day by day and worrying less about the bigger picture.
If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?
I wish I’d known that the trip would change me. I guess I always kind of thought it would, but I never really realized to what extent.
Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?
It’s a good idea to plan, but don’t over-plan. Trust your instincts and live a little impulsively while you travel—it’ll open you up to so many more experiences you may never have expected.
When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey?
I’m not sure I’ll actually do it again. Looking back at that trip, five years ago, I can’t help but think of it as just one piece of many parts of my life. I loved the freedom of backpacking but I’m not 100% certain I want to do it again. Saying that, however, I’d love to go back to India for a month or two, try and see and experience the place again with a bit more knowledge and experience under my belt. I also do dream of going to South America and studying Spanish—I see these less as journeys, though, and more as experiences…however long they may last.
Read more about Adam on his website, Travels of Adam.
Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.
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Image: Mariano Mantel (flickr)
Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Case Study: Adam Groffman
September 24, 2015
Advice for the aspiring travel journalist
Although I’ve assembled plenty of advice for aspiring travel writers on my websites over the years, I still get a steady stream of queries – often from college students – asking about how to land a travel writing gig. A recent inquiry comes from Maggie in Minnesota:
I am an aspiring travel journalist and freshman in college. I have decided to pursue travel journalism as my career. I am only 19 years old, but I have already been on numerous international travels. I have found that one of the great loves of my life is traveling and writing about those experiences. One of the greatest thrills of my life is interacting with people of other cultures, hearing their stories, living their way of life, etc.
Mr. Potts, what I am trying to get at is that I am very passionate about travel and writing. I know many people my age dream of being a travel journalist, and I know many of them may be better writers than I. What can I do to make my writing stand apart from all others? How can I be a successful travel journalist? What do magazines look for when they hire a travel journalist? What can I be doing now to prepare me for my future as a travel journalist?
This is what I told Maggie:
My best advice for you is to find an area of expertise. An area of expertise might be a physical area, such as Southeast Asia or Scandinavia, or the Rocky Mountains; or it may be a travel specialty, such as extreme sports, or golf, or low-budget travel, or spa travel. Keep in mind it will take you a long time to accumulate expertise — but you’ll have fun doing it. With enough expertise, you may be able to write for (or create your own) guidebooks, and you can do lots of freelancing on the side.
Interestingly, getting “hired” by a magazine or newspaper as a travel journalist is a mixed bag. It makes for a stable job, but ironically you won’t be able to travel much in a free-spirited manner — since publications rely on freelancers for their actual travel features, and they themselves often stick to travel news that can be reported from an office. And, even more ironically, those staffers who do get to travel usually earn this privilege not by accumulating experience as travelers, but by accumulating experience as normal, office-bound writers and editors. So if you really want a staff job, aim for magazine/newspaper internships while you’re still in school.
I didn’t do this: I took the freelance route, which is more fun, but a lot less stable and remunerative. I traveled, taught English, traveled some more, worked odd jobs, and traveled some more. I didn’t sell a travel article for money until I was 28 — and, while I am a full-time travel writer now with books under my belt, I still don’t make much money as a freelancer. Few people do.
So only get into travel journalism if you really love to travel and write. If you think it’s a good pretext for getting to travel, think again: you can travel just as much by saving up money from another, better-paying job, and just taking off to go vagabonding. So only pursue travel writing because you love to write as well. If that admonition hasn’t scared you off, I’ll advise you to write as much as possible, work on your narrative voice (because a vivid or funny voice can make all the difference), do some publication internships, get out there and work on your travel expertise, and — most of all — have fun! Even if your travels don’t lead to a full-time career, they are a reward in and of themselves.
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Image: Tim Scott (shutterstock)
Original article can be found here: Advice for the aspiring travel journalist
September 22, 2015
Motivations in Travel
I took my first trip abroad when I was 22 and I was convinced I was going to change the world. I had always wanted to leave North America and when I finally did I was fresh out of university, ready to fix everything. I signed up with an organization and jetted off to Kenya hoping to make a dent in the AIDS crisis. I spent five months learning that I could not solve anything on my own, nor could my ambition alone make a dent in anything. My world opened up drastically and I leaned, probably too late in life, that the rest of the world had a lot more to offer me than I had to offer it.
I so enjoyed being abroad that I knew I had to travel again, but my motivations changed. Since then I’ve traveled for many reasons: adventure, friendship, escape. Each time I figure something out. I set out with my ambition, my independent spirit, and my stubbornness. Each time I come back to a home base with a new perspective and a new plan for next time; to do things better, or to completely revamp the way I approach a new trip. It’s a humbling experience and it happens in fast forward when you travel.
Most recently I set out with a partner to backpack around Southeast Asia for six months. We sold everything, we quit our jobs, we bought one-way tickets. I wanted to explore and forge a financial path for myself. I wanted to adventure together, and during our time away, I found a passion for diving, and he was ready to go home. I went to Indonesia alone.
The transition from exploration and shared adventure to pursuing a career in SCUBA diving was natural and gradual to me but to outsiders looked drastic and insane. “What do you mean you’re not coming back?!”
Travel is a great way to shake up your life. Think you’re just visiting Koh Tao for 3 days to get a quick diving class in? Nope. Diving is now your entire life; prepare to adjust.
Maybe you’ll fall in love and start traveling with someone new. Or, perhaps a relationship will end and you’ll part ways on the road. Maybe a cultural or religious experience will shake your entire foundation and worldview. Perhaps you’ll get a degree abroad and see education in a whole new way.
Everything in life will always be changing and as we grow as travelers, as people in touch with the rest of the world, we can’t help but mature. When we grow, our reason for travel changes and that affects our next steps, our relationships, and our outlook. This is a good thing.
I’ve returned to Indonesia alone, ready for this next chapter. I can only hope that travel continues to stretch and challenge me. I just have to put one foot in front of the other with an open mind and an open heart.
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Original article can be found here: Motivations in Travel
September 17, 2015
Vagabonding Case Study: Ayngelina Brogan
Age: 38
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Your favorite quote: We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.- Anaïs Nin
How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip?
A good friend of mine, Liz, recommended it. I fell in love with the book. None of the advice was new or revolutionary but it really inspired me. I was in a great career and a dead end relationship, and while I had traveled and lived abroad I was really intimidated to go on a long-term trip. I couldn’t convince my boyfriend at the time to travel with me and the book really pushed me to do it on my own.
How long were you on the road?
I left a career in advertising in 2010 and had been traveling for 4 years. In the last 18 months I’ve used Toronto as a base and continue traveling.
Where did you go?
I bought a one-way ticket to Mexico and traveled overland through Central America and South America to Argentina over 18 months. From there I went to Europe for a while and back to South America.
Two years ago I went to a small island in Canada and met the love of my life. Everyone told me to visit a restaurant they knew I’d love. When I met the Chef he knew I was the one and confessed he was already planning to move to Toronto. We had an amazing few days and I had to bid farewell because I was going to Spain to rent an apartment for two months. We spoke every day and when I returned to Canada he joined me in Toronto.
What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey?
I started out on 20,000 savings and then became a professional travel blogger.
Did you work or volunteer on the road?
I once worked at a hostel bar in exchange for a hostel room and meals but after a year my website became my main source of income.
Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite?
That’s far too difficult to choose. I loved so many countries for so many different reasons. Latin American is in my heart. I really “found” myself there but I couldn’t pick a favourite country, so many are special for so many reasons.
Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging?
I find Spain quite challenging. I really want to love it because I love Latin America, but I find it so difficult to become more than just acquaintances with locals. I’m always on the outside. I haven’t given up but it is a difficult country for me.
Which travel gear proved most useful? Least useful?
Most useful are packing cubes. I swear by them whether I’m backpacking or just with a carry-on. They save room and keep things organized.
Least useful has been the silk sleeping bag I thought I needed. It was $80 and I’ve never use it. I really need to post that on Craigslist.
What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle?
Freedom to explore, change, discover the world and who you are as a person.
What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle?
After a while you really feel like you want more of a connection to people. It’s tough to travel for years and always be moving on. It’s why I now keep a base, I like knowing I have a coffee shop and friends in Toronto but I can take off and travel any time I like. I have the best of both worlds and I really appreciate both.
What lessons did you learn on the road?
So many things, much about the world but mostly about myself. It really was a new start in life. I’ve written about it quite a bit: 37 Tough Lessons I Learned Through Travel.
How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip?
Perhaps it was because I learned more Spanish but in Latin America I started connecting more with locals than with other travelers. When the language barrier lessened I was really able to learn more from people who lived in places I visited. I also started staying much longer in each place, often a month in a city instead of a few days.
If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be?
Don’t plan a single thing. Just go and figure it out.
Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure?
It feels like a big, scary decision because no one around you wants to do it. But once you’re on the road you will be surrounded with so many other people on the same journey, and you find a community that supports and helps. It was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life and I’m so thankful I’ve been able to blog about the ups and downs of long term travel.
When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey?
My partner and I just returned from 5 weeks in Italy as he wanted to learn more about cured meat so we had a salumi pilgrimage over 5 weeks. He’s a chef and so long term travel will be tough but we’re thinking at least once a year, when the restaurant is slow we’ll take a big trip. Until then we have a great ten day trip to Alberta, I’m so excited to learn more about my own country. And instead of big long trips I’ll take shorter ones more frequently to balance my insatiable travel bug and a relationship at home.
Read more about Ayngelina Brogan on her website, Bacon Is Magic.
Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.
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Image: davebloggs007 (flickr)
Original article can be found here: Vagabonding Case Study: Ayngelina Brogan
September 8, 2015
3 great American road trips you haven’t done yet
The open road has a mystical quality that cleanses my mind. Snarls in my thoughts loosen as the road unspools in front of my car’s nose. Ribbons of blacktop connecting sea to shining sea, linking deserts and mountains and fields of waving corn.
I yearn to grab my keys, jump behind the wheel and let the miles clarify my thoughts.
My tires eat up the miles. It takes time for the road to work its magic on me. Outside my window the landscape shifts imperceptibly until I’m in somewhere new. A destination undiscovered.
I stop the car and go exploring on a hidden beach or up a dusty trail into the mountains. This is the unspoken beauty of road trips: ability to pause your journey, put boots on ground, and tramp through new wilds.
Here are three great American road trips you haven’t tried (but should):
Oregon-California: Highway 101 road trip
Ah, a road trip for romantic, brooding, artists and photography enthusiasts. Full of tight winding two-lane highways and stomach-clenching cliffs that drop off into teeming ocean, this road trip doesn’t disappoint on the drama.
Follow spectacular two-lane Highway 101 south along Oregon’s magnificent rocky coast to Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California and drive among the ancient redwoods.
No complicated directions here: just pick up Highway 101 wherever along Oregon’s coast. (I started at Newport Beach: a quaint sea-town brimming with tourists, small shops, and an Art Deco-inspired bridge out of town.) Then head south to California.
Along the way, you’ll see screaming cliffs where the waves crash along the rocks, a red and white lighthouse at the north edge of Heceta Head’s crescent bay, arching bridges built in early 1900s, and views that make you drive erratically as you strive to find a pull-off to enjoy the view.
Take some time to explore the sea caves in the cliffs. Or wait for high tide to see water engulf into Thor’s Well. Either way, enjoy the moody majesty and humbling views of this road trip.
Best time of year for this road trip: early summer or fall to avoid the tourists and the fog drifting over the ocean.
Philadelphia-Boston road trip
A road trip for all you history buffs who believe history is best learned through travel and seeing the places where great events occurred.
The East Coast is chock-full of Revolutionary War, Civil War and historical must-sees about the formation of America. This road trip will hit up the major ones and leave you the flexibility to see others along the way.
Start off in the Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin’s City of Brotherly Love (and amazing cheese-steaks and Independence Hall with the Liberty Bell!) and catch I-95 north to Boston. Wind through Princeton in New Jersey and gawk at its prestigious bricked campus.
Take a few hours to explore New York City (and it’s long history with the Revolutionary War), before continuing north on I-95, along the path that Samuel Adams would have traveled from his home outside Boston to make Congress’ meetings in Philadelphia.
Follow the curving coast and stop wherever your heart desires in the states where USA was birthed. When you hit Massachusetts, take a quick detour east to fishing village, Plymouth, and its historic Plymouth rock, before ending up in Boston where the Revolutionary War began and our nation was birthed.
Best time of year for this road trip: fall to catch the trees changing brilliant colors.
Jackson, Wyoming to Glacier National Park, Montana
This road trip takes you through the original wild west of ski towns, the biggest copper mining town in the West, and ends in jaw-dropping scenery of a national park few hardly ever visit.
If you’re looking for a road trip loaded with gigantic skies, winding mountain roads, and wild life to boot, this is for you.
Explore the nearly deserted highways of ski-town Jackson before the winter crowds hit. Meander north on curving two-lane Route 189 and 287, through Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone National Park and get stuck in a buffalo-traffic jam.
Buffalo-traffic jam, definition: when cars stop in the middle of the road because the scruffy beasts decided crossing the road right there was the best place.
Stay true on Route 287 north through scenic Montana prairies with the famous Big Sky stretching overhead, until you hit I-90. Take it west to Missoula, snaking through old mining boom-town of Butte — recognizable by the huge copper pit next to the interstate, its hills dotted with A-shaped mining mainframes and an glowing M on its butte.
Just west of Missoula, take the exit for Route 93 north towards Glacier National Park. Along the way, you curve around Flathead Lake. This national park has stunning vistas of jutting mountains and gloriously-blue lakes, accented with white snow. Coming into the park is like stumbling upon a hidden jewel.
Best time of year for this road trip: early summer or fall after school has started to avoid the crowds, especially in Yellowstone.
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Laura Lopuch is a copywriter and writes at Waiting To Be Read where she helps you find your next awesome book to read — and points out a few you might not know about.
Image: Laura Lopuch
Original article can be found here: 3 great American road trips you haven’t done yet
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