This article is the sixth in a series of posts explaining how to bring your music on the road and get to travel with it. Read the series’ introduction , Post#1 , Post # 2 , Post #3 , Post #4 and Post #5 In my last post I concluded that vans are the ideal...

There was an interesting discussion on a cycling forum I visit from time to time. A man responded to a blog post I had written about cycling to the ends of the world with my children. “ I just don't see how subjecting kids to this odyssey of self-discovery or whatever it was could possibly...

(Border, SD) "Wait - you're moving where?" CP: "South Dakota" "Why would you ever move there?" CP: "Well..." Cost/day: ~$30/day (food / gas / fun) What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately? When I turned off the Interstate and into Rapid City, I saw (and promptly ignored) a speed limit sign stating 25 mph. Seconds...

Cost/day: $55/day Admittedly - I'm cheating a bit. I'm off the road for 2-3 months, so this was a day trip from Philly. If you stay longer, careful planning (couch-surfing, travel deals) will keep your lodging costs reasonable. As for fun - well, you just need to look around for it. What’s the strangest thing...

I was talking with a friend a while ago and he mentioned that the way he had managed to live the life of his dreams was by the 4 P's - prudence, patience, planning, and prioritizing. Ain't that the truth? No matter what it is that you want to do, you'll do it by following...

For those who strive to maintain fitness while traveling, running is one of the more accessible forms of exercise. All you need is a good pair of running shoes, a nice stretch of trail/road/shoreline and the will to pound some proverbial pavement and you've got the potential for a great workout. And let's be honest,...

The time is always right to travel with kids, despite what some people would have you think. Barbara Adam, who is currently traveling the world with her husband and toddler, recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post about that very thing. Many would have us believe that children don’t take anything away from travel...

Carpe diem. Seize the day. Make the most of today. Don’t worry about the future. We’ve all heard it. We’ve all heard the urgings of others pushing us toward our dreams. “Live for today,” they say. “Let tomorrow take care of itself.” But should we? Society has raised us for something different. We’ve been taught...

There has been a recent debate about budget travel against cheap travel: the article draws some interesting comparisons between budgeting your trip, and actually being too much of a cheapo to make the best out of it. As much as I agree with many of the statements presented in the article, I had to stop...

You want to live your dream. It’s there inside, bursting to be set free, but you’re afraid. Fear of the unknown, or of the reactions of others, or of future career implications… There are many fears that hold us back and prevent us from living the life of our dreams. Every single one of us...

I was talking with a friend the other day when she blurted out her biggest fear of traveling abroad. “What about medical issues? What do you do when something happens overseas?” And I responded, “I go the hospital. They have doctors overseas too.” Medical concerns are a huge issue for sure. Nobody wants to face...

Last week, Lindsey Rue’s post on Vagabonding inspired me to reconsider slowing down to enjoy the music from another perspective: the musician’s. I have been a punk rock guitarist for the best part of my twenties, and I have started to love travelling because of the long, inspiring van drives linking venue A to venue...

Many parents feel their adventurous days are over as soon as Junior enters their lives. Once you’re a parent, suddenly you’ve got to toe the line, live like everybody else, and do the responsible thing, right? Right? Maybe not. There are plenty of reasons why travel is good for kids. Whether you are traveling for...

Businesspeople often tout their insane work schedules as a badge of honor, e.g. "We stayed up all night to close that deal!" So it was rare to see this blog post saying that people should travel more instead. Mark Suster is a tech entrepreneur-turned-venture capitalist. His blog, Both Sides of the Table , is one...

Today is my last post on Vagablogging. After nearly two years of being a freelance writer, I’ve gotten to a place where my plate is overfull—and I have to make room. Thanks to you all for your comments and feedback over the past 22 months. Thanks also go to Rolf, Scott and the Vagablogging contributors...

While packing for my next trip, I came across the ticket stubs from my last trip. It’s not an uncommon occurrence, but this small discovery caused all the memories from that trip to come flooding back as if it had been just yesterday—and not five weeks ago. I don’t know if the gray sky today...

A few nights ago, I sat in the audience at the Book Passage Travel and Food Writing & Photography Conference , listening to Andrew McCarthy talk about his transition from actor to travel writer. One of his comments about travel stood out in particular: “I love that feeling of going, it makes me feel a...

Many travelers have a lengthy list of places they want to go. Alternatively, the list of places they’d prefer to stay away from can seem small in comparison. There are a variety of reasons to want to skip a place: war, security issues, disease outbreaks, a recent disaster, or even lack of interest in the...

In 1946, Aloha Week was created by a group of Jaycees as a cultural celebration of Hawaii’s history, music and dance. Since then, it’s morphed into a variety of festivals including more than 300 events across six Hawaiian islands that are attended by a million people annually. Even if you’re not already scheduled to be...

When traveling, I usually consider the actual form of transportation just a means to get where I’m going. Certainly, there have been experiences that stand out, but for airplanes, buses and cars—it’s usually snooze city. Hours spent on planes or most wheeled vehicles are like pressing the pause button on my trip. I’m not here,...