This weekend, Audrey and I will be shaking hands and kissing babies, schmoozing and pressing flesh at a meet-and-greet with the well-traveled. Those of you in the circle know it as TBEX. To those of you outside the world of travel blogging — yes, Virginia, there really is such a thing — it’s the Travel Blog Exchange conference.
As we dropped in on PREBEX, an ad hoc pre-conference cocktail hour, it occurred to us that the networking process is probably a lot like speed dating: get your story across in a short time while listening to and understanding the story of the person to whom you are speaking.
Problem is, we’ve never speed dated. Continue Reading »
On the topic of trekking in Patagonia, the two names most bandied about: Chile’s Torres del Paine and Argentina’s El Chalten. Although their hunks of uplifted granite are similar enough, the prevailing style of hikes they offer are quite different.
Whereas the “W” and Circuit treks at Torres del Paine are mainly about the long haul, El Chalten’s strength: its day hikes. On the edge of Argentina’s Glacier National Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares), El Chalten also offers the thrill of nature at a lower cost than its Chilean neighbor — with the added feature of a microbrewery on the way home from the hills.
In other words, two Patagonian trekking centers; two rather different experiences. Continue Reading »
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Photography by Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
We often highlight the contribution of women and mothers in our writing and photography, but let’s not forget the important role that men and fathers can play.
On this day, we think back to the moments we have shared with fathers and their kids around the world.
Fathers and their children from Paraguay, Lithuania, Burma, Honduras, India, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Peru
Continue Reading »
Go beyond what makes you comfortable. Open yourself to ideas, events, relationships that make you uncomfortable. Travel places where you know no one. Learn another language. Create art, even though you’re not an artist. Argue with people. Fall down. Get up. Read books, all sorts of books.
— Juan Williams of NPR during his commencement speech at Whitman College
I was paging through an article of commencement speech clips over breakfast yesterday morning and this quote stuck with me all day. It recalls so many recent conversations and its message resonates on so many levels. But doing something that makes you uncomfortable — doesn’t that sound odd? Continue Reading »
- The Joy of Living Deliberately: 7 Questions
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers
- Two Years On, What Have We Learned?
- Are You a Stuff Junkie or an Experience Junkie?
- How To Travel Outside Your Comfort Zone
- Living Outside Your Comfort Zone
Ah, kids these days. The list runs long of their digital addictions: texting, gadgets, Facebook, internet, and video games. But during our visit to the U.S., we bore witness to a few fleeting moments that reaffirmed that kids are still kids. That is to say, kids as we knew them: little girls leveraging the lemonade-stand model to raise money for an afternoon trip to the toy store, middle schoolers oohing and aahing over stories about eating bugs and engaging with giant rodents, and high schoolers jumping off absurdly high cliffs to demonstrate their mettle.
With cultural evolution at high speed, it’s comforting to know that while many things have changed, a few remain the same.
Note: If you are looking for eye candy, check out the time lapse audio slideshow of the kids jumping off the ledge at the waterfall here. Continue Reading »
Audrey and I have a complicated relationship with waterfalls. They are one of nature’s finest features, and in just about every nook and cranny we’ve visited, one is recommended to us: “Beautiful…impressive…you really have to see it.” But as pleasant as those recommended waterfalls often are, most don’t qualify as must-sees but rather as nice faucet-trickles.
Not so Iguazu Falls in Argentina. This is one serious collection of waterfalls and a sight truly worth a visit.
As we dug through our 360-degree panoramic photos from Argentina, the following panoramas seemed to capture a slice of the aerial aquatic immensity that is Iguazu Falls. In the words of one visitor, “These make Niagara Falls looks like a water fountain.” Continue Reading »
What does a 17th century novel have to do with our 21st century journey around the world? Continue Reading »
Only two days ago, we were learning about biodynamic Chilean wines and ziplining through vineyards in the hills outside Santiago, Chile.
Just yesterday, en route from Santiago to New York City, we took advantage of a long layover to peek into and poke around the colonial streets of Bogota, Columbia.
Today we arrived in New York. (We are writing this on a bus from New York City to Washington, DC.)
As we catch our collective breath from a rapid change in context (it took almost 15 months to go the opposite direction), we thought it might make sense to bring you up to speed as to what’s going on. After all, some of you might be wondering: “Is this the end?” Continue Reading »
When I think of my mother and my grandmothers, I feel fortunate to be born into a line of strong and determined women. My mother led by example, demonstrating that one’s personal and professional life is not static, but rather an evolution in personal development and fulfillment that includes taking a bit of risk from time to time. Additionally, both my grandmothers raised families in challenging circumstances – one in Korea shortly after the Korean War, the other in India in the 1950s.
As I consider their histories, I’m reminded of how much I have to learn from them and the lives they’ve chosen to lead. Continue Reading »
We are well overdue for a smartphone that can work for us, instead of one that we struggle with for basic functionality. In other words, it’s time to enter the mainstream. And with that, we’d like your help, your opinion.
Mobile phone cookies in Kyrgyzstan. If only choosing a phone were as easy as eating one.
Continue Reading »
