2015 : The Art of Non-Conformity

Travel

Homeward: Notes from TG 910, Bangkok-London

Greetings from the skies over Helsinki, on-board a well-aged Thai Airways 747 that has two hours remaining in its eleven-hour flight. Last night was Singapore, then a quick hop to Bangkok, and then this uneventful long-haul as I’m nearing London’s Heathrow airport.

I’ve felt strange for much of the trip. It’s been a lot of fun, no doubt, and I’m really glad I went. A trip like this, with four major cities in a week, all separated by 8-13 hours of flying time to each city, reinforces the benefits and challenges of the peripatetic nature of my life. There’s always something coming and going. There’s always a project wrapping and another one (or five) to tackle next.

What's the goal of life? Maybe it’s this: to live the life we’ve been given, to be kind to others, to do things that make us happy, and to give back (or whatever it’s called) as much as possible.

Profiles

Writing 150 Musical Compositions Before Turning 50: Stephen P. Brown’s Quest

Rejection didn't dampen Stephen P. Brown's inner fire. Instead, being turned down from achieving something he wanted flamed his desire to grow and change. Here's his quest.

As a conductor of orchestras, bands, choirs and musicals, it has been my privilege to see thousands of people laugh, cry and directly connect with live music, whatever language they speak. My life journey has taken me from a small village in the English countryside to the sunny shores of Florida via Europe, Africa, South America, and much of the USA and Canada.
Through all my travels I occasionally needed to compose music specifically for the ensembles I worked with, and I dabbled in some formal composition training here and there, but I never considered myself a 'composer.'

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Profiles

“I’m not running away, I’m running toward”: On the Road with Luke Armstrong

When we talked to Luke, he told us, “At the age of sixteen I wrote in my journal: 'Tonight, when I was driving home, I had the desire to point The Bronco in one direction and just keep going and going and going.'”

Many travelers will relate to his stories.

After I ditched my return ticket in Chile and took out a student loan to finance hitchhiking from South America to Alaska, people said, “You’re crazy!” I replied, “So was Columbus!” They insisted, “This is so financially unsound!” I cried, “So were The Pyramids!”
I joke sometimes that eight years ago I went to South America and I never came back. Really, it means I performed some paperwork magic to graduate early and created a path that was there for me to take or not.

Life

Going to the Movies by Yourself

I’m a big fan of doing things alone. I eat in restaurants alone, I go to faraway places for my birthday alone, and I generally work alone more often than not.

That’s why I’m naturally predisposed to like new research that shows that when you’re by yourself, you shouldn’t just stay at home and avoid activities that you might normally only do with someone else.

"People decide to not do things all the time just because they're alone," said Rebecca Ratner, a professor of marketing at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, who has spent almost half a decade studying why people are so reluctant to have fun on their own and how it may lead to, well, less fun overall. "But the thing is, they would probably be happier going out and doing something.”

Life

Three Things I Know Are True: Exercise

I’ve been attempting to find “true north” in a lot of things lately. This series explores what I’ve found to be true in my own life. Your answers will probably differ; the point is to find what’s true for you.

Today’s topic is exercise. Here are three things I know are true.

Et Cetera

Where Airplanes Go to Die: High-Res Photos Show An Airline Graveyard in the Mohave Desert

Photographers Andreana Scanderbeg and Alexander Sauer went to a desert in the American Southwest and found an airline graveyard.

They call their project Decommissioned, and it features images of many of the planes long after their useful life.

How do these images make you feel?

Life

The Self-Addressed Envelope We Send to Ourselves

"Every day is like a self addressed envelope we post to ourself. Be careful what you post in it.”

I went through a phase as a kid when I collected autographs from baseball players. It was a pretty short phase—I don’t care much for baseball now—but for a few moths, I spent all my allowance on baseball cards, then consulted a book that listed the addresses of retired players. I’d send off a card to five or ten of them a week, including a note asking for an autograph, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope, then wait to see what happened.

As I recall, the results were pretty good. It took a while, but on average about half of the players returned my envelope with an accompanying autograph. It was fun to get mail, and the response motivated me to send out more batches of requests so I could await the returns in future weeks.

Travel

“Make Your Dream Trip a Reality”: Week 3 Recap (Book Your Flight)

Every day for six weeks, we’re teaching people how to “Make Their Dream Trip a Reality.” You can watch each lesson for free on the day it’s broadcast, or you can purchase the whole course and have access anytime.

This was our third week with the in-studio audience and the thousands of people who participated online.

Everyone made lots of progress, and we’ll be back again after the weekend with much more.

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XLIV

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Cat Cinema? It's a Thing -- Can you think of anything better than going to a movie with your feline friend?
Memorable Ways People Have Quit Their Jobs -- Thinking of quitting your job? Here are some fun ideas
Conquer Your Daily Tasks -- An app that turns your To-Do list into a game
Self-Esteem Might Be the Wrong Answer -- There might be an even better option
Looking for a Literary Agent for Your Book? -- See also: The Unconventional Guide to Publishing
Did You Double Check that Address? -- Ten stories of packages being delivered to the wrong address

Et Cetera

Make History by Eating Breakfast: Join Us for an All-New World Record

Link: Eat Waffles, Set a World Record (YES!)

When was the last time you broke a world record by eating breakfast?

Never, that's when. But fortunately for you, that's all about to change.

This summer, whether you're attending WDS or not, if you can make it to Portland on Friday, July 10, you can become a world record holder—and this time, the task required couldn't be easier.

Work

Not Sure of Your Next Career Move? Take a Trip.

When I haven’t been recording 30 half-hour lessons on travel hacking, I’ve been reading a lot of survey notes and conducting interviews for my next book.

Something struck me as I glanced through the notes over the weekend. I’ve been paying attention to how people transition between different careers or jobs, and I've noticed a recurring theme.

Profiles

Exploring Global Subcultures from New Orleans to Tokyo: On the Road with La Carmina

This is a traveler case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.)

A law student turned global storyteller, La Carmina has put her love of seeing the world through a subculture lens into books, articles, and television. Her stories just might inspire you to see your travels a little differently.

I'm La Carmina, a Goth girl from Vancouver, Canada. I started my travel and fashion blog in 2007 while studying at Yale Law. I loved connecting with people online, and sharing my passion for subcultures and alternative beauty around the world.
Over time, my site grew from a hobby into full-time opportunities I never imagined: publishing books, writing for CNN Travel, and hosting TV shows on networks like Travel Channel, Discovery and National Geographic.
Recently, I've put my focus on travel-related projects. My film team and I visit about one destination each month, and tell stories that appeal to millennial travelers—such as Korean cat cafes, Budapest music festivals, Cape Town drag queens, and Israel indie designers.

You Don’t Have to Be Uncomfortable to Have an Authentic Travel Experience

When I went to Burma several years ago I stayed in a nice guest house for about $35 a night. The rate included free Wifi and a large banana pancake for breakfast. Mmmmmm.

After I came home, I talked with someone who had also been there. "How much did you pay?" he asked.

"Oh... about $30-40 a night," I said. I may also have mentioned the delicious banana pancake. Mmmmmm.

"That’s crazy!" He said. "You got ripped off... there are places you can stay for just $10 or less."

I didn’t know how to respond. Was I “ripped off?” Well, I guess I could have paid less... but I was happy with the experience, so for me the rate was a great value.

Et Cetera

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XLIII

Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

Virtual Tour of New SAS Business Class Cabin -- The Scandinavian carrier updates its seats and shows them off in this fun "street view" tour
The Ultimate European Road-Trip -- Using open-source Google Maps data, you can customize this trip to suit your own style
Base Jumping off the World's Second Tallest Tower -- Watch crazy people jump off a building in Dubai
One Bike One Year -- One woman’s solo journey by bike to collect stories about water and climate change
9 Ways to Live Life on Offense -- Including #4: "Say yes to the scariest stuff"
Cost Obsessions Around the World -- Interesting Google searches by country

Travel

“Make Your Dream Trip a Reality”: Week 2 Recap (Earning Points & Miles)

This was our second week with our in-studio audience and the thousands of people who participated online.

Everyone made lots of progress, and we’ll be back again after the weekend with much more.

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