Tonight is my last night in Jacmel, Haiti, having been helping in the relief effort for almost two weeks. As part of Shelters International Disaster Response, I have helped to clear rubble from two schools, and we just heard today that we have won the contract from the Salvation Army to rebuild the first one...

As I noted in last week's column, I am now on the ground, quite literally, in Jacmel, Haiti. Here I lie in my REI tent that I purchased off of craigslist last week, in a field next to the United Nations outpost, across from the small airport where large white helicopters emblazoned with the letters...

While it is certainly a key component, vagabonding isn't just about long-term travel. It's also about getting outside of your comfort zone, roughing it, careful planning, connecting with cultures, and jumping into the unknown with both feet. All of which I'm about to do. By this time tomorrow, I will be on my way to...

Besham, Pakistan Early on in Khaled Husseini’s book The Kite Runner , the main character says, “To this day, I find it hard to gaze directly at people like Hassan, people who mean every word they say.” The reader can’t read this line without conjuring up some mental image of Hassan, and that image will...

The images and news reports coming out of Haiti after Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake are heartbreaking. Many people are wondering how they can put their skills to use to help those in need. Volunteer Abroad offers a database of volunteer opportunities through their own search engine. Médecins Sans Frontières is a noteworthy organization and has...