Reset

Profiles

, , , ,

25 Journeys, 1,000 Miles Each : Dave Cornthwaite’s Quest

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

Dave2 Dave Cornthwaite's quest has been called "One of the most ambitious adventures of the 21st century," and in the process of his journey he has broken nine world records. Here's his story:

Introduce yourself and your quest.

A decade ago I spent two weeks learning how to skateboard, and promptly quit my graphic design job to spend the next year skateboarding further than anyone else had ever skated. I traversed the length of Britain (as a warm up) and then skated Australia.

Now, I’m working on what I call Expedition1000: 25 journeys of 1,000 miles or more, each using a different form of non-motorized transport.

Read More

1 Comment

Travel

, , , , , ,

Travel Disasters and Misadventures Are Good for Us

Earlier this year, as I was wrapping up the writing for The Happiness of Pursuit, I commissioned an illustration from Mike Rohde to commemorate a few of my more spectacular travel disasters and misadventures:

Travel-Path-Timeline-FINAL

[View or Download as a PDF] All of these experiences, even the negative ones, were helpful in building confidence to continue the journey.

Read More

Et Cetera

, , ,

How the Password You Select Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

8126497185_33f55c987b_z

From a long article about the history of passwords, I thought this story was especially fun:

For some people, these rituals are motivational. Fiona Moriarty, a competitive runner, told me that she often used “16:59” — her target time for the 5,000 meters in track. Mauricio Estrella, a designer who emailed me from Shanghai, described how his passwords function like homemade versions of popular apps like Narrato or 1 Second Everyday, which automatically provide its user with a daily reminder to pause and reflect momentarily on personal ambitions or values.

To help quell his anger at his ex-wife soon after their divorce, Estrella had reset his password to “Forgive@h3r."

“It worked,” he said. Because his office computer demanded that he change his password every 30 days, he moved on to other goals: “Quit@smoking4ever” (successful); “Save4trip@thailand” (successful); “Eat2@day” (“it never worked, I’m still fat,” Estrella wrote); “Facetime2mom@sunday” (“it worked,” he said, “I’ve started talking with my mom every week now”)

Read More

Profiles

, , ,

“Because of Traveling, We Know Ourselves”: On the Road with Jim and Rhonda Delemeter

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

Jim and Rhonda, long-term travelers, aren't afraid to "jump into the void." Here's their story.

“Jim-and-Rhonda-Delemeter"

Tell us about yourselves. What inspired you to leave home and travel?

Back in 2007 we sold our house and backpacked around the world for 14 months, which made us hungry for something more. In spite of having really great lives in the USA, we wanted to open our minds to other influences.

The more you travel, the more you realize that the way you do something isn’t necessarily the "right" way. Even, such as in places like India, when we simply don't always understand their way, we are at least able to stand back and say, "Okay, this is perhaps not the way we would have done things, but that's alright.”

Read More

Travel

, , , ,

Memories of Johannesburg Airport, 2006 to 2015

JNB

Yesterday I walked off the jetway into the transit area of Johannesburg’s international airport and had a flashback. I’d been here so many times... yet I always remember coming here years ago, way back in 2006 for the first time.

Back then I was beginning a new way of life. I had ended my four-year stint on a hospital ship in West Africa. I was going to a new home in Seattle—eventually. But first I had a side trip: I had to pick up a new country!

Read More

Et Cetera

, , ,

6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXVIII

20150106-diners-interior-court-square-diner-vicky-wasik-11

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

  • Routines of Famous Creative People (Interactive Version) -- How different artists and writers worked, partied, and sometimes even slept

  • An Insanely Simple 3 Step Guide For Killing Procrastination -- How to schedule your most important work—and ensure that it actually happens

  • Not Dead Yet: How Some Video Stores Are Still Thriving -- Blockbuster’s long gone, but a few independent video stores have taken a different approach

  • Roberto Saviano on the Fear of Assassination -- An Italian writer has been living under armed guard for eight years

  • Why Diners Are More Important Than Ever -- Includes the 8 characteristics of how you know you’re at a diner

  • When It Comes to Sunk Costs, Are Children and Animals More Rational than Adults? -- Some research suggests that adults have it all wrong

    • Read More

    Life

    , , , ,

    A Reader’s Experience of Taking Adderall To Help With Focus

    3196151008_070662c101_z

    When I decided to undertake a trial run of Adderall, a prescription drug that has both helpful and harmful uses, I also decided to share the story with our community. I figured if I’m struggling with something, I’m probably not the only one:

    A Reader's Experience

    Hey Chris! We haven’t talked in a while, but I read this post and wanted to provide an experience from someone who’s been doing this for a while. Here’s the short version:

    • I've been prescribed Adderall for the past 3 years or so. I started taking it around age 27

    • I'd experimented with it (as well as Concerta & Vyvanse) before during college, getting some from friends

    • Looking back at my formal schooling years I could see it might have been very helpful then...

    Read More

    Travel

    , , ,

    Sleeping in Hong Kong on My 100th Visit

    I’m not actually sure I’ve been to Hong Kong 100 times, but that’s probably a close guess. HKG is my most frequently visited international airport, and more often than not I’ve stayed over for at least a day or two.

    People say you can’t learn about a city in a short period of time. But what if you stay in a city for a short period of time over and over and over? In all of the visits, I’ve stayed in just about every possible range of accommodation.

    On my very first visit, when I first made the decision to travel to every country in the world, I stayed at the Star Guest House. Fun place! As I recall, it cost about $30 a night. I arrived late at night but was—per usual—wide awake due to flying from Seattle via Seoul.

    I took the airport bus and walked onto Cameron Road in wide-eyed wonder. Here I was! Hong Kong!

    3421940219_192d724335_z

    Read More

    Life

    , , , ,

    An Honest Conversation About Debt in America

    "Debt is publicly enforced and highly stigmatized, but is almost always privately experienced."

    After filing for bankruptcy herself, photographer Brittany M. Powell is traveling across America to interview other people struggling with unexpected debt. I love this multifaceted, non-judgmental project (originally on Kickstarter -- now closed after a successful end).

    Debt Portrait #28, Detroit, MI 2014 88a282cf5ab0f7c6-DebtRamon-4578 Through the camera, Powell is starting a conversation about debt—something many people experience alone but never talk about because of the shame and stigma that can be attached to it. How does debt effect us and our daily lives? Are people as alone in this struggle as much as they feel?

    Read More

    Profiles

    , , , ,

    The Beauty of Traveling Solo: On the Road with Megan Van Groll

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

    Not everyone feels comfortable traveling alone, which is one of the reasons why Megan Van Groll's tales intrigued me. She's an advocate for exploring the world by yourself, going so far as to spend all of her time outside of a full-time job encouraging people to do just that.

    Megan5 Tell us about yourself.

    By day, I’m a social media strategist at a large creative advertising agency. My education and background is actually in studio art, so I keep a studio in my home and paint—both for myself, and on commission. Lately I've been doing a lot of freelance writing and blogging about travel and career design.

    Above all else, I’m a travel addict and advocate for independent travel. I also believe strongly that everyone should take a solo trip at some point in their life.

    Read More

    Travel

    , , , ,

    A Night at the Airport

    A Night At the Airport

    After being home for three whole weeks, I'd almost forgotten how to travel.

    Fortunately, unlocking travel master status is a lot like riding a bicycle. You go through the motions, packing your bag and choosing your seat on the plane. By the time you take the train to the airport in the morning and amble through the security line, you're back in the game.

    As I began a big trip last week, I flew to Dallas and stayed for the night. In a hotel. Not on the floor.

    In my early days of world travel, I slept on the floor of the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport more than once. As airport sleeping goes, it was solidly mid-range. I didn't get evicted or hassled, and no one tried to steal my bag.

    Read More

    Et Cetera

    , , ,

    6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXVII

    ancient-trees-beth-moon-9

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

    Read More

    Around the Web and the World