Back when I was getting ready to embark on my 13-month career break trip through the former Soviet Union, I launched another blog, called Globally Gluten Free. My plan was to chronicle my experiences trying to eat gluten free while I traveled long-term. I found that most gluten free travel tips I encountered oversimplified the […]
The Realities of Traveling Long Term and Gluten Free Read More »
This time last year. It’s been a recurring thought in my head the last few months. This time last year I was arriving in Armenia. This time last year I was living in a small village in Tajikistan. This time last year I was watching the sunset over the Yangykala Canyon in Turkmenistan.
Thoughts on Life 2 Years After Quitting My Job to Travel Read More »
The longer I’ve been home after my 13 month journey through the former Soviet Union, the more I’ve been thinking about the places I want to go back to. As I ponder my future travel destinations, I am torn between discovering new places or returning to some of those that I am dying to explore
The Places I Long to Return To Read More »
Before leaving on my career break trip, I researched good banks for international travelers – banks that would refund out of network ATM fees and that wouldn’t charge foreign currency transaction fees. Several travelers recommended Capital One, so I dove right in, opening checking, savings and credit card accounts more than a year before I
Why Capital One Isn’t So Great for Travelers Read More »
Marshrutka. In Russian, it means “fixed route.” In short, it is basically a mini-bus, the age, size and comfort of which may vary greatly. It is also the preferred method of public transportation in much of the former Soviet Union. Whether you are going across town, across the country, or across a border, chances are
Mastering the Marshrutka Read More »
As I traveled through the former Soviet Union on my career break, I didn’t just write blog posts; I kept a journal as well. I wasn’t always great about keeping up with it, but it was a good outlet to write about things that didn’t really merit their own blog post (or things that I
Excerpts From My Travel Journal Read More »
I’ve written a lot about the emotional ups and downs I experienced while traveling through the former Soviet Union for thirteen months. Beyond those highs and lows, long-term travel also took a physical toll on me. While I was fortunate to never get too ill, I did experience my share of aches and pains along
The Physical Toll of Long-Term Travel Read More »
Travel is often fun and relaxing – an escape from our everyday lives. But travel can also be an eye-opening experience – an opportunity to gain perspective and learn about the rest of the world. Sometimes the most meaningful travel experiences occur when you visit a place that teaches you something new and changes the
When Travel Makes You Think Read More »
Guidebooks seem to be the one travel accessory that everyone loves to hate. Self-proclaimed “travelers not tourists” bemoan the fact that the likes of Lonely Planet create a typical tourist trail through cities – bars, restaurants and hotels that are overrated and overrun with tourists. They insist on ignoring the guidebooks altogether, saying they don’t
Lonely Planet: Don’t Leave Home Without It Read More »
Thinking about the past year leaves me with very mixed emotions. After being back in the United States for over three months now, it sometimes feels like the nine months before that didn’t even happen. Not being settled in a single place and spending all my time job hunting and doing freelance work means I
Reviewing 2012: Did That All Really Happen? Read More »
