Let’s face it, finding time and discipline to write well on the road can be really, really tough. Traveling takes a lot of mental stamina. At the end of a long day, once you’ve found a dinner and settled into the hostel, the last thing you have the mental juice for is thoughtful writing about the day’s events. At that point, your brain doesn’t want to process or reflect. It wants to rest. It’s checked out for the night.

But I try to force myself to journal every night on my travels. I’ve got bags full of bits and pieces from my travels sitting in my closet, but the most important physical souvenirs are the small, leather-bound journals that gather dust on a bookshelf. The journals—weathered and worn—contain the thoughts and impressions of places and experiences recorded in the moment. Some entries are shallow and quickly scribbled; some are well-thought out and insightful.

Most travelers will tell you the same thing; their journals are frayed little time capsules of emotions and experiences they wouldn’t part with for the world. Sometimes they’re written on a rickety milk run train in the countryside, sometimes they’re written while perched on a rock high in the Alps while cowbells jangle in the distance. Sometimes the entries are well-crafted insights inspired while sitting in a soaring cathedral during evensong; other times they’re scribbled late at night while the eyelids are forcing themselves closed and the synapses are shot.

It takes discipline to keep up a journal on the road, but it’s well worth it. We’ll return to the smudged pages at some point in the future and be reminded of a vivid memory, surprising impression, or fleeting thought. And we’ll be glad we had the discipline to stop and record it, even when the train ride was bumpy and the eye lids were heavy.

Pick up that pen, open the book and record a memory to cherish.

North Korea. Blue buildings are UN, the other is North Korean. Photo: Karl Baron / Flickr

We can be fascinated by the evil and the scary. Certain countries just scream, “Danger!” which only makes us all the more interested in them.  One such nation is North Korea.  This article in The Guardian UK will go down as one of the most memorable articles I’ve ever read: How one man escaped from a North Korean prison camp.

This real-life story is like The Shawshank Redemption on steroids.  No fiction writer could have come up with such sadistic villains, grotesque tortures, and nerve-jolting suspense as this.  While reading the piece, it felt like being trapped in Camp 14 with Shin In Geun, the main character.  The story builds in tension until Shin finally makes his desperate attempt for freedom, risking it all for the chance to see the world beyond the barriers of the camp.

Fair warning: this is a serious piece not to be read lightly.  The images and horrors stick in the mind long after one reaches the end.

Have you been to North Korea or another country that has pariah status? Please share your stories in the comments.

The essence of travel writing resides in the stories we live on the road: from the narratives of greats such as Chatwin, Theroux, Darlymple and others, to the tiny weblogs of your latest holidays, we are surrounded by more travel literature than what we can possibly consume. Some of it provides outstanding quality and catches a still literary photography of cultures, times and moments; other presents less vivid accounts of a person’s daily activities, a more monotonous list of facts and places.

Besides its quality, one thing is actually clear about travel literature: like most writing, it is more time consuming than reading.  And it may be more easily done from your apartment, after returning from your trip, than from the road.

Italian travel writer Giorgio Bettinelli (Picture credit: www.twowheelsblog.com )

Sparing an hour or two per day for some literary production is definitely more feasible than finding time from a busy schedule of train departures, sightseeing, meetings with local friends. Italian travel writer Giorgio Bettinelli – may you rest in peace, my friend – , a man who travelled the world on a Vespa scooter for 14 years and visited more than 150 countries, confessed me that he never wrote as he travelled. Too much time sitting on the motorbike, too much stress, and the very few moments of pure concentration could only spoil his creative stream. He preferred to return to Taiwan or China where he resided with his wife, kick back and type away many hours per day for two to three months, and then set off again for the next adventure. (more…)

More than likely you’ve heard of the legendary Moleskine notebooks that were revered by artists, writers and travelers alike. Originally they were covered in a woven cotton fabric which was sheared, making it soft on one side. Bruce Chatwin describes this ‘Paris’ notebook in The Song Lines, “The pages were squared and the end-papers held in place with an elastic band. I had numbered them in series. I wrote my name and address on the front page, offering a reward to the finder. To lose a passport was the least of one’s worries: to lose a notebook was a catastrophe.”

After a three month backpacking trip I came home with ten filled moleskine notebooks neatly bound with twine. I’d begun the trip with two blank ones. Much to my delight, it was easy to find more along my way. I agree with Chatwin; losing a notebook would be a catastrophe.

Before converting three years ago to using modern day Moleskines ; I collected various other notebooks of thickness and size.  In retrospect, they don’t visually stack nice and neatly; whereas the Moleskins do. This might seem like a silly and simple pleasure, but it makes me quite happy.

Have you ever shared your intimate travel moments with a Moleskine notebook?

Recent buzz around the web has suggested big changes in travel, but these trends are much more complicated than gradual increases in tourism as discussed last week by Chris and Marco.

Generation Y, is that you? Photo from CNN

A controversial New York Times article suggests quite the opposite for Americans of Generation Y. It suggests that Americans born after 1980 have become “risk-averse and sedentary,” more conditioned to slouching instead of moving forward. We’ve been dubbed the “Go-Nowhere Generation,” with more of us living at home, checking Facebook and waiting for the economy to change instead of moving to places where we may be better off.

While some of the reasons for less movement (economic downturn, student debts, technology addictions?) ring true, I can’t agree with the vague generalizations of America’s young people. Traveling for better opportunity is less common not just because we’re stuck tweeting in front of the TV! Tom Joad and his family did indeed travel half of the US for a sunnier economic climate, but twenty and thirty-somethings in America are living under much different circumstances than the Joads of the 1930s. In this great recession, it’s the housing crisis, low wages and debt that encourage staying put instead of breaking free like the Joads. Hard working adventurers and idealists of the past headed west to farm, moved to Alaska to log, and bolted to Las Vegas to join the burgeoning casino industry. By 2009, most cities in the “top 10″ list for opportunity became those that were hit hardest by the crumbling economy.

But what about the lingo of Generation Y? An increased popularity of the word “random” contributing to young Americans relying on luck instead of effort? I don’t think so. It’s doubtful that the Disney Channel show “So Random” has much of an influence on the American psyche. And can we be sure that Facebook plays a leading role in the declining number of US drivers licenses being issued?

The Joads' Jalopy: photo from The Guardian

It’s a tough economy in the US and outside of it. It’s true that many young Americans are emerging from the standstill, and are simply underemployed and drowning in student debts which may lead to more local living. The root causes of this slowed travel phenomenon are more complicated than I know, but I can assure you that any inclination to lazily live at home and depend on “luck over effort” isn’t a result of a Disney Channel slogan.

What do you think? As like minded readers sharing a passion for travel, why do you think American young adults are in a migratory standstill? Do you think the same rules apply to other countries of Gen Y?

Ever consider learning from the travel writing guru himself? Now’s your chance!

Here at vagablogging we all share a common appreciation for the inspiration Rolf penned into his first book. But have you gotten the chance to read his second?

Bundled within the rich collection, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, is something more. The endnotes of each chapter give you a little taste of what it takes to craft a good travel story. But why not go a step further and come learn from Rolf himself this spring (March 31st-April 2^nd) in western North Carolina.

Before you decide to get a tattoo from one of the many long haired, rasta-looking Thai men in the foreigner-inking business during a holiday in Thailand, think twice. There are enormous differences between the design you are going to get, and the rigid ink lines we can sometime spot etching a Thai person’s skin, spurting timidly from under their clothing.

Sak yant, as these traditional Thai tattoos are called, represents a form of magical protection for the bearers: may it be against accidents, evil, crime, or to give women better chances to attract the perfect soul mate, sak yant are not an indelible way to remember a backpacking trip.

They are applied by a master who gives his tattooed disciples a series of rules to follow in order to keep the protective spell alive, usually starting with Buddhism’s five principles. As much as sak yant is despised by upper class Thai society, it is still alive and well, and represents one of the few aspects of Thai culture which have not received massive coverage in the mainstream media. (more…)

A shelf of books. Photo: Ian Wilson / Flickr

Without exception, every traveler I’ve met has been an avid reader.  Makes sense, as a keener interest in information and stories complement a curiosity to see the world. The natural next step is to pick up our keyboards and write stories of our own, in travel blogs.

The website Travelllll.com had a post titled, Good Travel Blogging: Seven Ways to Read Better.  There is a good mix of advice.  The writer recommends where to find good articles for inspiration, how to read with a critical eye, and more.

My favorite is tip No. 1: Read #longform. Following @longreads on Twitter has been a revelation.  The articles there are found through a crowdsourcing process. Fellow reading addicts submit their favorite stories by marking them with the hashtag #longreads.  Then the main editor tweets out his selections from @longreads.  I’d recommend following both the Twitter account and the hashtag so you don’t miss a story.

Taking that step further, an awesome website for long-form journalism is Byliner.  It’s a social network where people can find and share the best reads on the Internet.  The site is so addictive for inveterate readers that it should come with a warning.

What do you read to inspire your blogging?  Please share your advice in the comments.

About 110 years ago an Englishman named Ewart Grogan made the journey across Africa from south to north. He was the first person to do so, and it took him two years.

In Crossing the Heart of Africa: An Odyssey of Love and Adventure, author Julian Smith recounts some of Grogan’s story, following much the same route. The title refers to the fact that Grogan journeyed with the knowledge that when he finished – assuming, of course, that he survived the dangerous trek – there was a particular woman he planned to marry. Smith also departs for Africa with a woman he loves, and to whom he is engaged, waiting back home.

The book deserves a place in a well-rounded travel library because it introduces us to one of the last great explorers, and such a young one at that (Grogan was in his mid-twenties when he set out). The reader is given a glimpse of Africa circa 1900 and a glimpse of Africa today. I particularly appreciate how Smith weaves in excerpts from Grogan’s journal, passages such as:

How many people have ever caught the exquisite flavour of bread-and-butter? the restful luxury of clean linen? the hiss of Schweppe’s? One must munch hippo-meat alone, save one’s sole shirt from contact with water as from a pestilence lest it fall to pieces, and drink brackish mud for days, to realize all this.

One disappointment with Crossing the Heart of Africa is that unlike Grogan, Smith didn’t make it all the way to Egypt; he made it as far as Juba, Sudan. He had good reason to go no further. The back cover blurb, however, gives the impression that both men covered the whole distance, and I felt slightly deceived once I reached the end of the story. Also, at times the narrative feels rushed and even forced, which may be in part because Smith had only two months to cover a vast amount of territory — too short a time, I think, but it was what he had to work with if he was to be back in time for his wedding.

Crossing the Heart of Africa: An Odyssey of Love and Adventure is available in many bookstores and on Amazon.

A man and woman using laptops on a train. Photo: Marco Raaphorst / Flickr

Working as a writer abroad is like tackling two dreams at once: writing and travel. Tough to pull off, though especially if you want to earn a living.  Graham Holliday, an experienced journalist, laid out his strategies for success in this Slideshare presentation: Frontline Club – solo foreign correspondent.

My favorite advice was in slide #26:

Go somewhere cheap – especially if money is an issue – and go somewhere odd. If you’ve done your research and you’ve made contacts and you have fairly good inkling of what you’re going to be letting yourself in for – Just go.

Our very own Rolf Potts got his big break with Storming the Beach, when he was in Thailand. Matt Gross, the former Frugal Traveler columnist for The New York Times, got his start as a newspaper copy editor in Vietnam. Speaking from experience, my first opportunity in publishing was also serving as a copy editor, but in Taiwan.

It’s difficult to get that first assignment, though. When I applied for that job in Taiwan, there was a lot of competition from ESL English teachers who wanted to get out of teaching and into writing.  If you’re a relatively recent university graduate like I was at the time, don’t expect to snag a journalism job abroad straight away. Especially in Asia, it seems like almost everyone does a bit of English teaching in the beginning before moving on to other work.

Some tips:

-Start a blog. Write a lot: the more, the better.

-Write guest posts on other blogs. The more prominent the website, the better.

-Monitor the media jobs websites regularly to see new openings.

Lastly, but most important: network, network, network. You can never know too many people. I find that my best networking is in casual settings, rather than formal events.  I was once at someone’s house party in Shanghai, and nearly every person there was a foreign correspondent.  Collect business cards habitually, and always follow up with an e-mail the next day.

Another thing about networking: most of my best opportunities have come from acquaintances I didn’t know that well, compared to close friends. I think it’s because these people were more outside my circle and in industries I didn’t get exposed to as often.  Usually, my friends have similar backgrounds and careers as I did. Malcolm Gladwell talks about “the strength of weak ties” in his book The Tipping Point.

Do you work as a writer or journalist overseas? How did you get your job? Please share your stories and advice in the comments.