Travel

What is travel? Why do we do it?

I try to answer the age-old question of why we travel. Is it because we, as humans, are actually wired to be nomads?

The Pros and Cons of Travel

I am passionate about travel. But just because I love it doesn’t mean I’m not aware of its faults. As with many other things in life, there are both pros and cons to travel; ups and downs.

Why I’m a Weenie When it Comes to Solo Travel

I often feel like I’m a weenie when it comes to solo travel… Find out what I’m so afraid of.

Musing on My Concept of Home and How Travel Has Shaped It

“Home” can be defined in a lot of ways. Here, I try to figure out how travel has shaped my own definition.

When a Travel Blogger is Stuck at Home

A guest post for Adventurous Kate.

I consider myself a travel blogger. And yet, I’m not currently traveling. This bothers me, some times more than others. Being “grounded,” so to speak, is often frustrating.

Kate asked me if I would like to guest post for her on this topic, and I jumped at the chance. It’s one thing to read about people already off on their RTW adventures, but what about the rest of us? Hopefully others can relate.

How Travel Has Changed Me

We’ve all read the stories and heard the testimonials: Travel can be a pretty life-changing experience for a lot of people. Travel has definitely changed me. Find out how.

Travel Expectations vs. Travel Reality — Part 1

Every once in a while, travel lets us down. Or, perhaps to put it differently, we let ourselves down by expecting one thing and being delivered another. Sometimes, travel expectations just don’t match up to travel reality.

Travel Expectations vs. Travel Reality — Part 2

While it’s true that I think we often expect too much from travel, having travel let us down is only one side of the expectations vs. reality coin. Sure, I’ve been disappointed while abroad. But I’ve also been pleasantly surprised.

Where it All Began: It’s Carmen Sandiego’s Fault

I sat down not long ago and decided to try and pinpoint where it all began; to try and figure out what first sparked the wanderlust that oh-so-often flares up inside of me. I finally came to a conclusion: It all started because of a mysterious woman in a red trenchcoat. That’s right — Carmen Sandiego. Remember her?

Travel’s Ugly Underbelly: When Other Travelers Aren’t Nice

Sometimes on our travels, we come across people who just aren’t very nice. How do you react to these sorts of situations?

Travel Now — It Might Not Be There Tomorrow

Glaciers are receding. Ancient ruins are collapsing. Natural disasters are shaking up entire continents. And a global economic crisis is changing how the world works. You’d better see it all now, before it’s gone.

It’s A Small World, After All

We’ve all experienced it — running into someone we know when we’re out of town; pulling into a parking spot at the same time as an acquaintance we haven’t seen in years; finding out that we have mutual friends with a complete stranger we meet at a party. As they say, ‘it’s a small world.’ But the world seems even smaller still when experiences like these happen when we’re traveling thousands of miles from home.

“Dark” Travel as a Way to Pay Tribute

Why do we visit places like Auschwitz or the Killing Fields or Pearl Harbor? Why do we pay to walk through museums dedicated to war and terrorist attacks? Do we, as humans, have some sort of morbid fascination with death and suffering? Well, with the exception of maybe a few, I don’t think we do.

When Tragedy Strikes a Place You Love

Just as when you fall in love with another person, when you fall in love with another country, you start to care for it and its wellbeing. You don’t want to see it fall on hard times or be hurt in any way. Sometimes, simply forming a bond with a country is enough to make it feel like your own. It’s joys are your joys. Its worries are your worries. And its tragedies, too, are your tragedies.

Traveling Solo to Somber Places

A guest post at Solo Friendly.

I’m not always a huge fan of solo traveler. But there are some instances — and some destinations — where I’d much rather be on my own.

Smell: A Travel Memory Trigger

Our sense of smell is a powerful thing — and certain smells can often act as triggers to our memories. This works with some of my travel memories, too. There are certain scents that will forever be associated with specific destinations in my mind. No matter where I smell these, I am automatically transported to other parts of the world. Here are a few of my favorites.

My Travel Motivation

We all have some sort of motivation when it comes to reaching our travel goals. My first bit of travel inspiration came in the form of a unique piece of jewelry.

Are You an Impulsive Traveler?

Here are some signs that you might be a bit impulsive when it comes to making travel decisions.