I found out about this cool service from the Journeywoman newsletter, which is also worth subscribing to for their cool tips and occasional nuggets of usefulness for the permanent traveler (although it’s geared more towards vacation travelers).

HelpX describes themselves as “an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food … Read more »

“Saint Augustine declared that “the world is a book, and those who have not traveled have read only one page.” Only firsthand experience can validate or challenge our intuitions, giving us confidence about risky political decisions in a complex world of instant feedback loops and unintended consequences. During travel, perception and thought merge; a contradiction can emerge as a truth to be revealed, not some exception to be disproved. Such ambiguity is the corollary of … Read more »

Kelsey Timmerman, author of Where Am I Wearing? fame is giving away an iPod.

To enter to win, simply make up a “funny, clever, witty, insulting answer” describing what song Kelsey is dancing to in the photo pictured here. Then, go to the contest webpage, leave a comment, e-mail your friends about the … Read more »

Good news for student vagabonders hoping to make that leap abroad. This Matador pulse article, 1% of American students study abroad, introduces the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act.  If it gets signed into law, it could enable more students to take that first step overseas. Here’s the official website.

Some of the biggest obstacles are getting financial aid and the bureaucratic nightmare of making … Read more »

In a previous post here at Vagablogging, I wrote about what tools you can use to self-study a language. While your choice of tools will determine the success of your program, your approach to studying can make the learning process easier and more enriching. Here are some things you should keep in mind while you’re studying on your own:

Learn everyday. You don’t necessarily have to take on a full-blown lesson each day, but … Read more »

With factories belching and spewing pollution, benzene plants exploding and contaminating rivers, J. Maarten Troost presents a vivid description of the environmental peril in modern day China in Lost on Planet China: One Man’s Attempt to Understand the World’s Most Mystifying Nation. Of course, Troost (author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the … Read more »