I am often asked why I travel. What is the benefit? Is all the work, preparation, and planning worth it? So, I set out to identify what it is I really feel I have gained through travel. While this list may not be the same for everyone (and I expect it wouldn't be), I bet...

photo credit: Sippanont Samchai on Flickr I've spent the past few weeks traveling around, catching up with old friends. I've been through Paris, London and am now sitting in the Yotel hotel in New York City. As I was thinking back, deciding what to write about - the moments that burned brightest were the meals...

Five months of extended, slow travel taught me valuable life lessons that I never could have learned from a one week vacation or a weekend getaway. Once I got past the initial lure of traveling to new places (including Guatemala, Taiwan, Australia, and Ethiopia), seeing new things, and doing different activities, the time spent traveling...

Aren’t you afraid? In a word: No. It’s a question people ask us in lots of quiet ways. Aren’t you afraid of the political climates in less than first world places? No, but we’re aware of them. Of course they colour our travels. We make choices to go some places, and not others, based on...

(Working on Trinity) As you may have guessed from the photo above, the situation with Trinity went further downhill from my last post. Here's the video I shot at the end of a very long day - when it was clear that Trinity just wasn't going to make it home. (Click image to watch video)...

It’s an increasingly accepted as fact that, as a nation, we have allowed a work culture to develop where taking time off is seen a sign of disloyalty or lack of care, and where extended time off is more of a concept than a reality. It’s also a given that more and more data suggest...

(Overheated near Barstow.) Well folks - a small change in plans! I was going to do a different type of post this week and upload a video of some gorgeous canyons that I rode through in Arizona. Alas it isn't to be. First, I'm can't find an Internet connection with a decent upload rate. More...

The air is unbreathable, hot, and terribly humid. The air conditioner perched at the top of the wall at my right is just an empty plastic shell that reminds me that there could be some extra comfort, if someone had cared to replace the wiring. Instead, rivulets of sweat pour down my forehead and temples,...

(Lost in a Crowd - photo by Keoni Cabral) This week I'm in San Francisco, after riding my motorcycle from Washington. First, I have to say - the ride down the PCH was in-damn-credible! Thanks to a friend's suggestions, I got off the PCH near Fortuna and took the Avenue of the Giants scenic route....

“You really have to WANT to do this, don’t you, Dear?” Ann’s words have echoed in my mind as her sweet, octogenarian face has pleasantly haunted my afternoon walks. We wandered slowly through the natural bridge outside of Waitomo with her and her husband, Ross. I quietly got the kids’ attention and encouraged them to...

Since it's summer and the beach is on my mind, I thought I would do a recap of my favorite beaches I've visited over the years. I'm not really one for the crowded party beaches, or cold weather beaches, both of those seem to have made my list because of how beautiful they are. I'm...

This week I returned from a month and a half overseas working as a tour guide, helping to lead two different groups on an epic Best-of-Europe grand tour. The experience was a new one for me; after years of exploring the continent’s cobbled backstreets and ancient cities as a solo travel writer, I found myself...

(Camping in Siberia) Earlier this year, I rode a Ural motorcycle and sidecar through Siberia, up 1800km of ice roads and ending in the Arctic Circle. It was one hell of a journey which taught me how to survive in extreme sub-zero temperatures. More importantly, it expanded my limits and showed me what I was...

We’d been dating long distance for over three years. We got engaged in Australia in January of 2009 when I was still in New York and he in Melbourne. We’d traveled overseas together on every holiday break we could and loved it. We knew we wanted to share the same space for more than a...

(Riding past the Guadalupe Mountains) I was planning to write about learning to throw axes during my last trip to Toronto. About how it reminded me to get out of my head and flow in the moment. That the moment I started laughing, that's exactly what would happen and my throws became more accurate. I'll...

(Working on this article in Austin - Vintage Heart Cafe) My last couple of articles have been a bit higher-level ( How lessons I learned while traveling have helped me through family tragedy and Becoming a better person via the kindness of strangers ). Today, though, I've decided to post something much more tactical -...

Out there in the world of the Internet, there’s a community of people. Whatever your focus in life, you can find a twitter chat, blog post, Facebook page or Instagram feed to showcase your interests and connect with others who have a similar concentration. Today’s online world has pros and cons just like everything else....

This summer I’ll be spending several weeks helping to guide travelers through Europe’s best sights. A dream job to be sure, but the stakes are high; the task of introducing people to the richness of Europe can be a heavy burden. Being in charge of a group’s travel safety and general exposure to the rich...

Starting from Minneapolis, Minnesota, I spent 30 days exploring the United States (traveling to 37 states) and documenting the faces and places I saw on the Greyhound Bus system with photographs and short stories. I showered rarely, slept infrequently, ate poorly, and I loved every uncomfortable minute of it. My fascination with the culture of...

Finding yourself tired and achy after a long day’s sightseeing in Budapest? That can be easily fixed by indulging in one of the city’s great experiences—a long soak in the healing waters that residents and visitors have been availing themselves of since Ottoman times. Blessed by its location—it sits above numerous natural springs spouting warm...