The “Will I regret it in the future?” mindset can be very helpful in making decisions. From a New York Times article on protests in Hong Kong: “I’m not sure if this protest will really affect the decision by China, but I’m sure if I don’t come I will regret it in the future,” said…
Read MoreFrom David Mitchell, the author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks: “One of the questions I always try to keep in the front of my mind is to ask why would anyone want to read this, and to try to find a positive answer for that. People’s time, if you bought it off them,…
Read More
123 Comments
Every Friday is giveaway day. Comment to win! This weekend’s prize is a four-tea sampler from Townshend Tea Company here in Portland. This unconventional business started as a college project at the University of Oregon and now boasts five locations. They’ve also branched out to specialize in sustainable production of kombucha. What you need to…
Read More
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Read More
I’ve mentioned a few times that going to every country in the world wasn’t as expensive as most people initially think. But how much did it really cost?
The short answer is that I’m not 100% sure of the precise figure. I didn’t tally up every expense associated with ten-and-a-half years of travel, and I didn't save all the receipts. Much of the travel (perhaps one-third) was done in cooperation with other work and commitments. The whole time I was living in West Africa, for example, I was visiting a bunch of new countries, but usually in my capacity as an aid worker for a charity.
Even during the time when I was focused mainly on going to countries for no good reason, it wasn't a business project. It wasn't something I needed to account for or get reimbursed. It was a personal challenge that I would have pursued regardless of the cost.
Read More
This is a quest case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.) If you read this blog, you probably know all about my quest to visit every country in the world. Here’s something similar, but with a fun twist. Sasha Martin also went to every country, but in a very different way. Introduce yourself! I’m Sasha Martin…
Read More
Link: Chase Ink Plus **** Update: The 70,000 point offer has now ended. The card still offers 50,000 points and has gone back to having no annual fee in the first year. **** The short answer is yes, probably—and there’s nothing deceitful about it. In the wake of the huge new bonus for the Chase…
Read More
Over the weekend I headed home for a brief pause in my adventures to 40 cities to meet with readers as part of our fall book tour. It’s been exhausting (per usual) and also very fun (per usual). A few nights beforehand I was in Orange County (here’s an attendee review), and the local group…
Read More
This is a traveler case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.) When I first began galavanting around to every country in the world, there was one guy who quickly became my go-to expert on the South Pacific. Gary Arndt knew every island, even the tiny ones that weren’t technically countries. He and I have both…
Read More
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Read More
From my own 193-country journey to the stories of many other people who were kindly willing to share, The Happiness of Pursuit attempts to extract and convey the lessons of modern-day quests. This series explores some of these lessons. Lesson: Every day matters. The awareness of our mortality can help us focus. We all have…
Read More
This incredible 4-minute timelapse video of California was filmed over 4 years. From Santa Cruz to San Francisco, then down to Orange County, Pasadena, and San Diego, I enjoyed the rays in the Golden State all last week during this portion of my latest tour. Thanks, Cali! I’m now on to Toronto… another great place,…
Read More
Link: 50,000 Points for Barclays Miles & More World Mastercard As I mentioned a couple days ago, Chase is currently running a huge offer for 70,000 points on its popular Ink Plus card. This offer is fantastic. it’s definitely worth a look for most readers in the U.S. who are interested in nearly-free travel. Another…
Read More
At 89, Howard is still working on his family’s farm, the same 70-acres he’s cared for since 1940. How would you feel about leaving behind something you’ve worked on your whole life? Howard’s perspective might surprise you. “I’ve kept busy all my life. They say the worst thing you can do is sit down.” “I’m…
Read More
Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
Read More