Like most, I’ve afforded my Vagabonding freedom through a variety of jobs. However, none have been as stupidly lucrative as waiting tables. For years I slaved away as a server between my stints on the road. Knowing the transitory nature of my downtime, I would forgo the search of more permanent employment. My love for...

Although there are a lot of people in other developed countries who don't travel, Americans tend to get singled out as the worst offenders. Backpackers love to repeat the statistic of how few Americans hold passports as proof ( read more about this myth ). This article from Brave New Traveler, Are Americans afraid to...

Indigenous food directly connects you to a place--the place literally assimilates into your body--but it also works the other way around. When you're home, food can bring you places by bringing those places into you. The standard Western supermarket has a wall of imported chocolate offering escape. Goya (and competitors) often claim half an aisle,...

Sometimes I like to find examples of fun things that vagabonders have done with their lives. I think that we sometimes get so stuck in a rut, or scared of change, that we can't imagine any career or creative purpose outside of "travel writer" or possibly "Amazonian tour guide." Both of which are pretty darn...

Some of my earliest Vagabonding experiences consisted of piling 4 people into a tiny 2 door sedan and rolling through several states without so much as a change of clothes or proper gas money. For years I travelled on the bare minimum, sleeping in cars or at impromptu camp sites. In hopes of saving on...

We've just turned the clocks back in the U.S., which is either the best thing in the world or the worst day on earth - it all depends on who you talk to. For me, it meant an extra hour of sleep at a time when I needed it. (I'd love to figure out a...

Nick Baker, the Internet Cafe Hobo, will be traveling around the world and visiting Internet cafes. The details are in this BBC World Service article . Although Internet cafes may be facing a decline with the rise of netbooks like the Eee PC, they are still a common pit stop on the travelers' trail. Especially...

A few weeks ago, I came across a blog post titled " Authentic Travelers Don't Eat McDonald's ." At first, I was ready to post a comment of my disagreement. But as I read further, I realized the author was rebutting the title statement. There's nothing wrong with indulging in the occasional Westernized meal, he...

You know those little wedge things that you can put under a door to keep it open when you're carrying heavy stuff? You can get the little brown triangles for a dollar from most hardware stores, but they're usually made of rubber and a bit heavy for the traveling lifestyle. So what if you were...

“You should have gone to France.” These were the parting words offered to me as I attained the final in an obnoxiously long trail of signatures before finalizing my study abroad paperwork. “You should have gone to France.” Everyone, from the study abroad office recruiters to the French Department to my vapid friends, offered this...

With all the bad news from the media, positive trends don't get that much coverage. It's easy to find news about where not to go. But how about an update? What often goes unnoticed is when dangerous places get safer. Forbes Traveler had an article called Not-So-Dangerous Destinations . It goes in the opposite direction...

Brave New Traveler, one of the sites in the Matador Network, recently posted an essay on fear, specifically, on how fear can hold us back from our travels. In the piece, " Fear and Loathing: How Risk of Injury Can Inhibit Travel Plans ," the author writes that after she was badly injured in a...

Do you like going to new exciting places, weird locations, and curious locales? Are you not in America, so Roadside America just won't do it for you anymore? Do you have a touch of the Jules-Verne-I'd-like-to-see-the-world-in-a-balloon about you? Try looking to Atlas Obscura for inspiration and amazement. THRILL to the sights of the Sati Handprints....

“Measure travel inwards” is a quote by Henry David Thereau. I came across these three simple words several years ago and, taking them quite literally, they quickly became a sort of talisman to my personal travel style. One should never cheapen the thrill of seeing a place that they have until then only dreamed of...

Are you a writer at heart but you just can't do more than morning pages without getting stuck? Are you looking forward to having a great many hours on public transportation with only your tiny netbook for company? November is National Novel Writing Month (that's NaNoWriMo, for those in the know...or the No)! If you're...

All long-term travelers have to start somewhere, and dreaming of a life of travel is certainly a reasonable beginning. But what if your dreams don't match what you'll find when you actually get out on the road? That's where experienced travelers come in. BootsnAll member Kadiri is 18 years old and lives in Australia. He...

Obviously, it can be stressful to tote your computer with you everywhere (what if I can't find an internet connection? what if my laptop gets stolen? what if I drop it and everything breaks? where did I put that thumb drive with my important documents on it?) and most of us can't have a dedicated...

Ask any long-time resident of Portland, where BootsnAll is based, and they'll probably tell you September is one of their favorite times to be in the city. But this year, when the last week or so has been downright cold, it felt like October - and autumn - came earlier than normal. At least around...

A house in Bali. Photo from MatadorLife.com. Matador Life had an article a while back called What Can $150K Buy in Real Estate Around the World ? The photos were a real eye-opener about the great values available around the world. It's mainly pictures and figures, but the comments were instructive. There was also a...

The greatest parts on a trip are the exciting moments of newness and inspiration. But is it realistic to expect that you'll have that every second of your trip? No. If you consider the realities of travel, you can manage your expectations—which usually makes for a better trip. A new post by Nomadic Matt looks...