We’re Betsy and Warren. In 2008, Betsy’s brother had a heart attack. Then, our good friend Maria had a brain aneurysm. They were both 35. Realizing there are no guarantees in life, we asked one another, "What would change about your life right now if you knew you wouldn't make it to 40?" "Travel!” was the answer for both of us.
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Last year we started a foundation, making an initial investment of $100,000 and pledging to support “Scholarships for Real Life,” a program to enable people to pursue a dream of their own while also addressing a problem that affects others. In this short series, we’ll highlight our initial grantees. *** Working with at-risk youth is…
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Update: New post, two years later *** On any given day I’m anxious about any number of things. I don’t relax very well. I feel tense and unsettled at least a couple of times throughout the day. And I worry, because generally I think worry is good. Of course, not all worry is good, and…
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So many good things in this one. Best bet is to watch the video. “When you make something, you wonder: Will it stay at the top? Will it speak to people? Will it lose its relevance? But you can’t worry about those things. You have to create things that are truthful to yourself.” “Every…
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I love big cities, and always enjoy returning to Hong Kong, New York, and Sydney—among many others. But what about those unknown gems that are off the beaten tourist path… those obscure places that are just waiting to be explored by real travelers? Our new “Mini City Guides” are here to uncover those gems, and…
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I liked Seth Miller’s post about flying JetBlue on his birthday for no particular reason other than the fact that it made him happy. He boarded a plane, flew for an hour, and then turned around and went back. “It was a cheap flight. My round-trip fare was about $60 plus $10 for the MTA…
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Every Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win! Three years later, Nathan Minnehan started making leather journals and selling them in Buenos Aires at the San Telmo street fair. The journals are now sold internationally and in more than fifteen stores in the U.S. He also has a scholarship called the Dream Box where he…
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Online interviews are a dime a dozen… except when they’re done amazingly well. Jonathan Fields decided to rise to the challenge of producing thoughtful, in-depth features on interesting people. He’s kept at it for more than three years and is still going strong. I asked him why he started Good Life Project, otherwise known as GLP. Here’s…
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This is a traveler case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.) I’ve known Austin for years, and I appreciate his perspective on combining a number of different interests: travel, startups, teaching, and more—all viewed through a filter of gratitude. Here’s more. Introduce yourself! A couple of study abroad semesters in college gave me wanderlust and…
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Approximately 3% of the adult population has seriously attempted to end their lives, but most of those who do never speak of it. “The nation’s oldest suicide prevention organization, the American Association of Suicidology, decided in a vote by its board last week to recognize a vast but historically invisible portion of its membership: people…
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*** Update: You can now order the book! *** Order from Amazon Order from BN.com Order from iBooks Order from a Local Bookstore Greetings, all! Big news today. I’d like to officially unveil my new book, The Happiness of Pursuit. In this post you can learn more about it, read a FREE excerpt, sign up…
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Last year we started a foundation, making an initial investment of $100,000 and pledging to support “Scholarships for Real Life,” a program to enable people to pursue a dream of their own while also addressing a problem that affects others. In this short series, we’ll highlight our initial grantees. *** “My life sometimes has been…
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I stumbled upon an essay by an anthropologist who had a diverse background before settling in Michigan. But where is she actually from? When I travel and a stranger asks if I’m from Michigan, I immediately reply: ‘I live there, but I’m not from there.’ I feel compelled to tell everyone about my immigrant past:…
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I love big cities, and always enjoy returning to Hong Kong, New York, and Sydney—among many others. But what about those unknown gems that are off the beaten tourist path… those obscure places that are just waiting to be explored by real travelers? Our new “Mini City Guides” are here to uncover those gems, and…
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I. Around the World Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter. Interview with David Foster Wallace — “Somehow we’ve allowed the culture to teach us that the point of living is to get as much as you can and experience as much pleasure as you…
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