“I don’t believe in preserving culture. The real question is, what kind of world do we want to live in — a monochromatic world of monotony, or a polychromatic world of diversity? The idea is not to eliminate modernity, as if we’ve got the right to sequester people like some kind of specimen in a bubble. If I get my arm ripped off in a car accident, I don’t want to be taken to a … Read more »

We hope you’ve been following along with Rolf’s recent round-the-world trip, the No Baggage Challenge, and that it’s served as some kind of inspiration to you in planning your own adventures. It’s unlikely that most of you will travel in an extreme style like Rolf – with not only no luggage but on such a quick itinerary around the planet – but there’s plenty to learn from Rolf’s trip, not least of which is … Read more »

The “pack light” mantra has been beaten into travelers who don’t have personal jets. It’s a good practice, too. Have you been following Rolf’s No Baggage Challenge?

It’s much easier to pack light when you can leave toiletries at home and just buy inexpensive replacements in your destination. It can also be simple, depending on where you’re going, to just pick up an extra T-shirt … Read more »

One of the most eye-opening moments when working abroad is finding about all the differences between your host culture and home culture. For example, a Japanese salaryman might accept unpaid overtime as business as usual. A French worker, on the other hand, might disagree with staying beyond normal business hours.

Salon.com did a detailed comparison of the work cultures Germany and the United States: Were you born on the wrong continent?

There is a … Read more »