Dr. Clayton Allen Hubbs (1936-2007)

Though I often cite the literary likes of Walt Whitman as early inspiration for my travels, another key inspiration in my vagabonding career was Transitions Abroad magazine, which I first discovered through my teacher roommates while living in Korea. Though I’d already traveled a fair amount by that point in my life, I often felt like there was never enough solid resource information for the kind of travel I liked to do — independent, interactive, inexpensive travel that mixed wandering with work, study and volunteering. Thus, discovering Transitions Abroad was like finding a ready-made handbook for the journeys I’d been dreaming about — and its resources enabled many of my adventures in Asia and beyond. Years later, when I wrote Vagabonding, I heaped praise on the magazine — and I continue to use it as a travel resource to this day.

Dr. Clay Hubbs, the founder of Transitions Abroad died on March 29, 2007 after a stubborn battle with multiple myeloma. I never got to meet him in person, but I did have the honor of interviewing him for RolfPotts.com last fall. And, while his name is not as well known as Rick Steves or Tony Wheeler, I can’t help but think that the independent travel world has lost a true icon.

Transitions Abroad will continue provide essential travel information under the editorship of Sherry Schwarz — and Clay’s son Gregory Hubbs (who sometimes writes for this blog) will continue
to edit the incredibly useful online version of the magazine.