Couchsurfing.com is nothing short of a vagabonding phenomenon, and, as we recently noted, it might even be catching on with corporate travelers . On the surface it has obvious appeal -- free accommodations on the road can extend your travel budget by weeks, if not months, and you'll get to meet locals everywhere you go....

"Even bad experiences when you travel seem almost mythical -- they are bad experiences, but also stories that you will tell around a table sometime, exotic in their badness." --Susan Orlean, "A Lonely Heart in Bhutan," Best American Travel Writing 2007

TravelBlogs.com had an interview with Wade, a perpetual traveler. He discusses strategies for how to travel as long as you want without going broke . The most intriguing aspect for me was when he explained how to become an archaeologist . Until now, I'd only heard of excavations where you have to pay to volunteer....

Every person has their own unique perspective on the scene in front of them and different ways of showing it through the lens of a camera. Photographers of the world are roaming and constantly documenting infinite scenes frozen in time. So what happens to all these photographs? I recently discovered TrekEarth through a fellow traveler/photographer,...

With the recent economic downturn, it's no surprise that many companies are lowering their expenses. One of the ways they do this is by encouraging their employees to stay with friends and family during business trips. This allows companies to cut back on the expenses that go with traveling employees, such as hotel accommodation, airport...

Andy Howard has a good work system going. What's consistent is his work as a website designer, strategist, and consultant. What's not is where he sets up his work station. So far, in his seven months on the road, the Aussie has worked while traveling through Asia, the US, Central America, and he's now making...

All travelers seem to be, at least to some degree, readers. The downtime and travel time of the average vagabonding journey lends itself to reading, and, whether you consider yourself a reader or not, you may well be one be the time your return home. For some of us it works the opposite way --...

I like to find websites written and maintained by people who have been on the road for an extended period of time. This is because, before you take the first step, you consistently need all the encouragement and inspiration you can get. My latest find is the Indie Travel Guide and Podcast run by Kiwi...

Of all the things that go into planning a long trip, the least glamorous -- and yet potentially most important -- is the visa. It might be tempting to just obtain a visa for your first destination and then get the rest in local embassies. That is a viable option in some cases, but in...

One unexpected benefit of the global financial crisis is that the U.S. dollar is suddenly recovering ground, as travel writer Tim Leffel says in this article about the travel dollar . I guess because the U.S. economy got hit first, it also should recover first. Meanwhile, the crisis has only recently spread to Europe, particularly...

In the bar of a restaurant in Berlin I sipped on a glass of wine and contemplated a poetic and vaguely written menu. If I recall correctly, the description under the vegetarian option was something about "golden fields waving in the breeze as the clouds above turned shades of vibrant red, orange, pink and purple."...

Many long term travelers permanently move out of their apartments when they leave. Others even sell their houses. What to do with one's home before a long term trip is often one of the most difficult decisions first time vagabonds make. The good news is that there are several options out there that don't require...

Back when I was an aspiring musician I hated it when friends in bands would talk about how much touring sucked. All I wanted to do was tour, live on the road, play shows every night and generally live the good life. I never did go on tour with a band, but I went on...

This is my last month of living in Spain. An adventure that was supposed to be for 6-months, lasted 2.5 years. And it's been fantastic. It's the beauty of letting life take you where it wants to. As long as it feels right, it's all okay. I used to have a very high-stressed corporate life,...

With oil prices dropping the odds are pretty good that airfare is going to do the same in the near future. Given that airfare is generally your biggest travel expense, that should be good news for vagabonds (couple low airfares with record low exchange rates between the Dollar and Euro and this may be one...

One of my favorite parts of Rolf's book "Vagabonding" is where he talks about improvising what form of transport to take. He says it's one of the best ways to get into adventures, and I agree. Travel website VirtualTourist.com has compiled a list of the Top 10 Wild Rides for Travelers . I have a...

Are you interested in experiential education and love to teach and travel? Two organizations, LeapNow and Where There Be Dragons have employment opportunities leading trips around the world to places such as Central America, South America, India and Africa. You would be leading small groups of students and teaching such principles as integrity, cross-cultural exploration,...

Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" is a book that many travelers and nature lovers hold close to their hearts. This makes it disheartening to read a recent Scientific American blog post about how recent studies show that many species in Walden Pond are facing local extinction. "Despite the fact that ~60% of all natural areas in...

One of our favorite Kiwi families has hit the road! Eight children, two parents, and one grandpa are almost a month into their round-the-world trip, scheduled to last for several years. We first met them in May 2007 when they were preparing for their journey. After a couple of updates during the past year and...

For those wanting a way to share their travel experiences or get back on the road (or to earn a little extra money), I've seen a few competitions recently that might interest you. Check them out: Road Junky 2008 Gonzo Travel Writing Contest—Hell Trips To apply: Submit a story about one of your own true-life...