It has such a diabolically recognizeable shape: like a huge metallic marital aid, zipping along down the highway.  Airstream RVs make us long for a nostalgic past that never was: the 50s and 60s as they should have been, with tiny fold-down couches. There aren’t many recreational vehicles other than motorcycles that have … Read more »

[Rolf and Kansas first lady Stacy Parkinson at the Kansas Book Awards in Topeka.]

A year after its initial publication, my book Marco Polo Didn’t Go There has started to receive some awards at the state, national, and international level. A few weeks ago I mentioned that it had received a Kansas Book Award; now, … Read more »

What to do after that grand adventure abroad?  Back to the land of work?  Matador Life has an article about this topic called How to Get Back to Work After Traveling.

I have to disagree with one tip in the article, “swear yourself off travel for a year.”  For me, planning my next trip is one of … Read more »

Hoi An, Vietnam

Travel is open to many definitions, and here is one: “to move in such a way that your life intersects with other lives and is shaped by the encounter.”

For me, a vital component of relationships formed on the road is the goodbye, nicely demonstrated in this photograph from Vietnam. … Read more »

What is it about that magic moment that causes action? How is it that you’re gathering information in one moment, and going for it in another?

Yep, you could even call it the tipping point.

I hope that whatever it is for you—whenever it sparks, however small it is—you’ll listen to the inspiration and take a step toward your biggest travel goals.

Thinking back to … Read more »

Historically speaking, the word “vagabond” does not conjure up the best images. You might think it’s cool to describe yourself as a vagabond, but how about having a V branded on your hand? Not so cool, but in fact that’s just one of the many punishments meted out to vagabonds over the years.

While no one (that we know of) is heating up branding irons … Read more »

Obviously, it can be stressful to tote your computer with you everywhere (what if I can’t find an internet connection? what if my laptop gets stolen? what if I drop it and everything breaks? where did I put that thumb drive with my important documents on it?) and most of us can’t have a dedicated desktop office if we’re constantly moving.  Even if you settle somewhere for a few months, it might be difficult to … Read more »

“As we travel, we can feel that something important is happening, that we are taking part in something of which we are at once both witnesses and creators, that there is a duty incumbent upon us, and that we are responsible for something. And in fact we are responsible for the road we are traveling. We often feel sure that we are walking or driving down a particular road just this once in our lives, … Read more »

Ask any long-time resident of Portland, where BootsnAll is based, and they’ll probably tell you September is one of their favorite times to be in the city. But this year, when the last week or so has been downright cold, it felt like October – and autumn – came earlier than normal. At least around the BnA office, many of us who had vowed not to turn on the heat in our houses until October … Read more »

A house in Bali. Photo from MatadorLife.com.

Matador Life had an article a while back called What Can $150K Buy in Real Estate Around the World?  The photos were a real eye-opener about the great values available around the world. It’s mainly pictures and figures, but the comments were instructive. There was also a bit of a flame war between people who were willing to … Read more »