No matter where you are in the world, you can be concerned with your sexual health; the World Health Organization defines good health as being not just the absence of sickness or disease, but also the active presence of physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.  Aside from more obvious issues of sexual health (like wearing condoms to prevent disease, and getting regular Pap smears to check for cervical cancer) this includes the right to feel comfortable … Read more »

Most travelers are familiar with Couchsurfing at this point. That great nonprofit initiative that connects travelers from all over the globe, providing them with a couch to crash on, some great company and events around the city, or simply a local’s advice. As someone with a decent number of couchsurfing experiences under her belt, I can attest to the organizations quality. I’ve had singularly amazing experiences … Read more »

“I hate looking at monuments. I hate waking up in the morning and thinking, ‘Oh! Today we’re gonna visit this abbey.’ We don’t do it at home, why should we do it abroad? The only thing I’m interested in is people, views, restaurants, and a clean, warm place to crap, as What’s-his-name said. You never meet real people when you’re touristing.” –Chandler Burr, The Emperor of Scent (2003)

This month’s Round the World Ticket Watch newsletter from BootsnAll focused on the topic of how to narrow down a route for a RTW trip. The post about this month’s RTW ticket deals earlier this month talked a little bit about picking an itinerary. And itinerary questions remain the most common ones on the BootsnAll travel message boards every month.

But we thought this question, posted by BootsnAll member CarolinaCouple, was a … Read more »

It’s inevitable: Whether your choice places to stay when you travel are hostels or hotels, you’ll eventually end up couch surfing in the home of a friend or acquaintance. How do you know you’ll be a good guest? Lifehacker’s recent “Be a Perfect Guest in the 21st Century” points out that the best advice goes beyond merely being polite and focuses on not burdening … Read more »

Prolific travel blogger Nomadic Matt made the case for permanent travel in this article for The Huffington Post: Why we travel. He captures that exhilarating sense of freedom that vagabonders love. Freeing ourselves from routine to see the world.

Interestingly enough, Mike Barish wrote a reaction piece for Gadling.com titled, On long-term travel, snobbery & judgmental blogging. He mounts a spirited defense for having a home base, a stable set of friends, and … Read more »

Today I’m excited to announce my latest travel project: the No Baggage Challenge.

Starting Saturday I will embark from New York on a journey that will take me around the world without using a single piece of luggage. From late August to early October I will explore 12 countries on five continents, crossing the equator four times, without carrying so much as a man-purse. The few items I do bring (including a toothbrush, … Read more »

Tonight I’m sitting at the dining room table in the home of some friends whom we are house-sitting for a week. Earlier today, we handed the keys to our home off to three folks from New Orleans who needed a place to stay in the Bay Area for a few months, found through our posting on Craigslist. They are getting a break in rent in exchange for taking care of our three cats, … Read more »

I uploaded a bunch of recent travel photos to Flickr yesterday, but didn’t have the time to type in titles. And until I do, the effect will remain horrible: “DSC_0528” adds nothing to what the photo is trying to convey.

Giving titles or captions to your photos allows you to add another layer of interpretation to your experience. You give the viewer another angle to consider, or context that isn’t apparent from the snapped moment. … Read more »