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Bogotá, Colombia
A little self-disclosure: I’m suspicious of people who like to party all the time, and I tend not to travel with those who think the apex of a journey involves getting drunk off your rocker in Cancun or even in some Siberian tavern filled with Russian coal miners. … Read more »
When I was a child, my mother thought I’d join a nudist colony; I was always taking off my little toddler dresses and running around in the backyard with nothing on. As an adult, I’ve managed to parlay comfort with my body into an easily portable financial application: nude figure modeling.
There are two genres of nude modeling (it’s always “nude”, by the way; if you say “naked”, it’s not art): photography and life drawing. … Read more »
I must admit, both on the road and in my personal life, I have no tolerance for picky eaters. I have nothing but sympathy for people with food allergies, as I regard the condition as the most cruelly unfair punishment on this Earth, and I respect the lifestyle decisions made by vegetarians and vegans. However, I am instantly infuriated by people who turn up their noses and cringe at the mention of eating goat meat … Read more »
“We must accept our reality as vastly as we possibly can; everything, even the unprecedented, must be possible within it. This is in the end the only kind of courage that is required of us: the courage to face the strangest, most unusual, most inexplicable experiences that can meet us. The fact that people have in this sense been cowardly has done infinite harm to life; the experiences that are called “apparitions,” the whole so-called … Read more »
Rolf’s latest travel project is the No Baggage Challenge — a journey that will take him around the world without using a single piece of luggage. Every few days, we’ll be updating Vagabonding with a recap of the latest to keep you up to date on the adventure.
Rolf spent 36 hours in Paris catching up on blog entries, shooting a video demonstrating his laundry routine, and touring familiar Paris sites in a vintage … Read more »
The best travel soundtrack is made of the distinct sounds of a place. A foghorn’s wail, the sizzle of cooking, a howler monkey’s roar, or an imam’s call to prayer—all can bring us back to a place as easily as seeing a photo. What about your playlists? Do they help conjure a moment on a trip just as easily?
I suppose it depends on whether you … Read more »
Do words construct worlds? That’s the idea behind this Wall Street Journal article: Lost in translation. Scientists and linguists have been doing some fascinating research into how languages affect cultures.
Even the simple act of reading can be quite complex and revealing. English speakers read from right to left, but Hebrew speakers read from right to left. Pormpuraawans, a group of aborigines in Australia, communicate in absolute compass directions. When facing south, they read … Read more »
My fellow contributors and I have made a few mentions of Burning Man when describing other extreme festivals such as Couchsurfing events or the Love Parade. 
However, those readers that have never been to “a Burn” may not realize that it’s much more than just a week-long party, and in fact shares several fundamental principles with the practice of vagabonding.
Creative problem solving – … Read more »
Although we plan and save and daydream about traveling for months on end, I’m wondering if you could share what are the immediate causes, if any, that precipitate your decision to travel.
You could call it the Travel Eureka Moment — that instant when you decide that it’s time for a trip.
Here are a few that jump out at me. Curious to hear how these and … Read more »
Benny Lewis
http://www.fluentin3months.com/
Age: 28
Hometown: Cavan, Ireland
Quote: “My main sacrifice was to give up English entirely to ensure that I have a more authentic experience.”