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A Tale of Two Rivers: New Film Documents Journeys in Iran and Patagonia
Leave your thoughtsAnd as far as I can recall, I’ve seen Tom Allen in Los Angeles, London, and Portland. The guy gets around!
He's also a prolific filmmaker. Tom is returning this year with another big documentary project, this one produced with a partner with whom he undertook major expeditions through Iran and Patagonia—two places that are different in many ways. With only 5 days to go, here's the trailer for the Kickstarter project to fully produce two feature-length films:
11 Travel Hacking Tips, Stories, and Ideas Combined into One Post
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This post is a "greatest hits" mashup of travel hacking tips, stories and features. Take a look and see if anything might be helpful to you!
Packing Essentials
Comments Off on Packing EssentialsIt doesn’t take me long to pack for most trips. I typically bring the same clothes and “stuff” with me no matter my destination or purpose of travel. Sure, there’s some variance—a warmer scarf depending on season, or a nicer jacket depending on what kind of meetings I have on the other side.
On average, it takes me twenty minutes. No more, no less. If I’m doing laundry and sorting through the mail while packing, the whole process might take up to an hour, but that's the cost of multitasking. The greatest challenge is indecision. Do I want two pairs of jeans? (Usually just one, but I waver.) Do I need to bring my bathing suit? (I don’t swim often, and when I do I can wear my running shorts.)
What If You Had to Work Only One Hour a Day?
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I once caught bronchitis, and it lasted for more than a week. I spent much of the day sleeping or complaining.
But of course, I still had to work sometime. My energy level was constantly low, but every so often I'd muster enough strength to work through a few tasks or half-heartedly reply to emails before crashing on the couch.
The rest of the time, when I wasn’t sleeping or complaining, I was on the couch reading or watching bad TV shows on my iPad. Once in a while I’d be inspired to boil water for herbal tea. It was rough—even worse than the dreaded man flu.
6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXIX
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Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
- The Most Advantageous Places to Visit with American Dollars -- An updated report highlighting Mexico, Argentina, and some of Europe
- The Economics of Busking -- Notes on best practices and how much money you can expect to make
- How to Tell the Difference Between Planes — Do you know that there are only two double-decker aircraft? This infographic will teach you how to spot all the major aircraft types
- “Disco Dog”: The smartphone-controlled LED dog vest -- Take your dog for a walk and a dance with this fun Kickstarter project
- A Man and His Van -- "Adventure is freedom"
- Living in an Internet Cafe in Japan -- Depression and Japan's big unemployment challenge
40 Years Later, I Set Out to Walk the Camino de Santiago: Nancy Liddle’s Quest
Leave your thoughtsThis is a quest case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.)
Nancy wasn't sure she could complete an 850-kilometer walk on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. But she did, and discovered something about age in the process. Here's how it happened.My name is Nancy and last year I fulfilled my 40-year-old dream to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Being 56, relatively unfit, single, and never having walked more than 10 kilometers in my life was intimidating, but I did it.
Non-Conformity and Adventure in Europe: The “Alive in Berlin” Conference
Comments Off on Non-Conformity and Adventure in Europe: The “Alive in Berlin” ConferenceLast year I spoke at a number of worldwide events, but only one was in Europe. The organizers are bringing it back for another round, and a limited number of tickets are now available.
I like events of this size: not too small, and not too big. If you're in the neighborhood, broadly speaking, or if you're up for an overseas adventure, it’s a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people and learn more personal development.
“If you have to ‘give back,’ maybe you took too much in the first place.”
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I heard someone say that recently. I don’t remember the context but I really liked the sentiment.
This whole concept of “giving back”—it kind of implies a certain arrogance. It suggests that everything we’ve received comes from our own hard work, and that we are deserving of whatever wealth or status we hold.
Taking a Travel Break Mid-Career: On the Road with John Fiddler and Kathleen Egan
Leave your thoughtsThis is a traveler case study. (Read others or nominate yourself.)
John and Kathleen opted to take a mid-career break and travel the world under three tenets: sightseeing, athletics (trail running, climbing, and long distance hiking), and volunteering.We're two 40-somethings on a multi-year career break traveling the planet. Along with adventuring through the wild landscapes of the world to see the sights and cultures of the planet, we’re trying to give back to communities as we travel. From kayaking the length of the Baja peninsula, trail running around Europe, backpacking through Southeast Asia (and getting married there!), to being the first expedition to traverse the high route of the Great Himalaya Trail (87 days, unsupported), to now exploring and volunteering in Africa, it has been a crazy and incredible two years.
Fuel Dumping: A Little-Understood Trick to Save Hundreds of Dollars on Airfare
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There’s a fun trick that can help you save hundreds of dollars on your next long flight—but it’s a little complicated and requires a bit of work.
6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXXVIII
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Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.
- A Master Comedian’s Advice for Becoming Famous — Steve Martin’s unconventional perspective
- Birds That Bring Gifts — Maybe your most generous friends are in your backyard
- How to Become a Brunch Buffet Ninja — Learn how to win gold in the buffet game
- The Himalayas from 24,000 Feet — Live from Kathmandu, here’s the first ultra HD footage of the Himalayas shot from above 20,000 ft
- A tour of the most expensive Airbnb rental in San Francisco — The 10-bedroom mansion will cost you $7,010 a night
- How to Cry on Command — Actors use this trick to generate real tears over and over
Oregon Woman Learns to Speak Six Languages Fluently
Comments Off on Oregon Woman Learns to Speak Six Languages FluentlyThe six official languages of the United Nations are considered the most geopolitically important languages in the world—not to mention that native speakers of those tongues represent about a third of the global population. Emily Liedel decided to learn them all to fluency.
Introduce yourself and your quest.
Professionally, I'm a freelance journalist, translator and language entrepreneur. I write about international affairs, urban issues, food and language. Personally, I'm on a quest to learn all of the official languages of the United Nations (Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese and Arabic - English which is my native language) to native-level fluency by my 35th birthday in 2019. Currently, I speak everything but Arabic, and I'm still finishing up becoming fluent in Chinese. I also speak fluent German and Swiss German (the dialect spoken in Switzerland) so I like to say that German is my bonus language.
Traveling the Eco-Friendly Way: On the Road with Ivana and Gianni
Leave your thoughtsIvana Greslikova and Gianni Bianchini are two full-time travelers with a passion for eco-tourism. Here’s how they incorporate supporting conservation efforts in their travels:
Tell us about yourselves.We are Ivana (from Slovakia) and Gianni (from Italy). While living in Germany, we decided to quit smoking. Our goal was to save money for a big trip, but we realized we’d be able to save enough for a Round-the-World experience. What started as a one year plan became an indefinite journey. We are nature lovers, eco-travelers, and we’re passionate about photography. We try to immerse ourselves in the local culture while on the road.
How to Join “The Amazing Race” for Regular People
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Have you ever wanted to be on The Amazing Race?
I’ve never actually seen the show—I preferred to focus on my own race for ten years—but one time J.D. Roth and I got up early to stand in line for auditions. After waiting for two hours, we were told that the line had closed and there would be no more auditions. Reality star #fail.
Fortunately, I know a guy who helps regular people with their own amazing race, every summer in Europe. Steve in Washington, D.C. is a full-time travel hacker. Competitours is a fun side project for him, and I thought some of you might be interested.
