“Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.” –Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist (1988)

On a quick, non-travel-related note, I want to announce that my Paris Writing Workshop colleague Lauren Grodstein has just published a new novel, A Friend of the Family. It’s been getting nice reviews in venues like the New York Times and USA Today — and I can personally attest that it’s an engrossing read.

… Read more »

An article that was published recently on BootsnAll got people talking.

In his article, “Is flashpacking killing the art of backpacking?” Paul Dow draws a pretty sharp distinction between what I’ll call “old school” backpacking and the kind of backpacking that more travelers are doing these days – the kind that involves things like bringing a laptop on the road or staying in a budget hotel now and then instead of a hostel.

Between … Read more »

Travel can be exciting—immersing yourself in a new culture and attempting to see and do everything you’ve dreamed of. But even the excitement of a new place needs to be balanced with quiet time, and often, these moments serve as more than just time to reflect and process.

For me, those quiet hours come in the morning, before the workday begins and visitors flood … Read more »

A common headache many vagabonders face is criticism from people back home. They say things to make you feel that travel is irresponsible. If you return home to work, they think you validate that their lives are “the real world” and your adventures abroad aren’t.

Prolific travel blogger Nomadic Matt hit out at the haters with his great post, Everyone says I’m running away. He echoes the sentiments I’m sure many of us … Read more »

Malacca, Malaysia

Early in 1988, a newlywed couple from the States was traveling in Malaysia. While in the ethnically diverse, historical treasure-trove of a town called Malacca (Melaka), they hired the services of a 60-year-old rickshaw driver named Peter Ong. Thanks to a simple act … Read more »

On the desk of Derk Richardson, senior editor for Afar magazine, sits a globe which he uses to send writers to a random destination. I caught up with him at Afar’s 2nd issue launch party in San Francisco to find out more. One imagines him spinning the globe with his eyes closed, stopping it with a finger and seeing where it lands.

Instead, his globe holds slips … Read more »

There was a time when each of us didn’t know a thing about travel. We had no conception of distance, of independence. We couldn’t imagine the desire to spend a night away from home, let alone feel that desire. Far? The grocery store was far.

But soon, childhood is drenched with the influence of exploration. Never-neverlands, kingdoms, toy trucks and planes and trains, ships steaming through … Read more »

I once read that you can tell how “discovered” a place is by the dogs. If the stray dogs mind their own business, or are afraid of people, then congrats – you are officially “off the beaten path”. If the dogs follow you around, looking for the scraps they’ve been accustomed to receiving from travelers, then you’ve arrived in … Read more »

Travelers come in all shapes and sizes, but if there’s one common element these days it seems to be that everyone is packing an iPod. Long bus rides, plane flights, layovers, lonely, deserted hostels and other familiar travel trials all seem to be a little bit easier to bear when you have a pair of headphones and … Read more »