The best way to explore an off-beat destination

I've already illustrated this past year with 12 travel photos from 12 months, but that doesn't really elaborate on any of the specifics of the amazing year I had. I was lucky to be able to travel a lot in 2011, and here are all the details: By the Numbers Miles traveled: Roughly 41,000, which includes a trip to Hawaii, a jaunt to Vancouver, a visit to New Zealand, and a 6,500-mile U.S. road trip Number of flights: About 20, including connections and short domestic flights in NZ Number of trains: 2 (the Amtrak Cascades between Vancouver and Seattle, and the TranzAlpine between Christchurch and Greymouth) Countries visited: 3 (the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand) U.S. states visited: 18 Glaciers hiked on: 1 (Franz Josef in New Zealand) Natural wonders seen: At least 4 (the Grand Canyon, Doubtful Sound, the Meramec Caverns, and the Rocky Mountains) National parks visited: 9 (U.S.: Pearl Harbor, Pecos NHP, Grand Canyon NP, Arches NP, Jefferson National Expansion Memo...

Lately, I've been noticing a sense of restlessness that's been creeping its way into my thoughts at inopportune times — like when I'm at work. It's been difficult for me to put my finger on its source, but I think I've finally come up with reasons why I'm so restless. But just explaining why I'm restless won't get me anywhere; it will only make me sound whiny. So, after identifying the sources, I've also come up with ways to combat them. So why am I so restless? I’m in limbo. I’m going to be turning 24 in less than three months. I’m in that stage of my life where I’ve outgrown my college years and mentality, and moved on into what some would call “the real world.” And yet I don’t really feel like an adult yet. There’s still so much that I want to do before I settle down. Which is why… I have a job, not a career. I landed a job last fall as a copy editor at a small Ohio newspaper. It’s a great job, and I’m thankful that I was able to find somethi...

So you want to start a travel blog. Awesome! Travel blogs can be a great source of inspiration, and can be a great way to document an epic adventure or travel-filled lifestyle. But there are thousands — no, more like MILLIONS — of travel blogs out there on the Internet. So if you want to start a travel blog that will LAST and not just fizzle out, you want to make sure to do it right from the beginning. How to Start a Travel Blog in 10 Simple Steps 1. Choose a name One of the most difficult parts about starting a travel blog is naming it. You want something that represents you or your travel style; something that's catchy that people will remember; and something not too long or cumbersome to type out. But of course it also has to be something web-friendly, and you need to find an associated domain name that's not taken (THIS is really the challenge!). My blog's name comes from a favorite Tolkien quote of mine. Before you worry about that...

How to Become a Successful Travel Blogger Travel Blogging Tips Want to become a successful travel blogger? Learn how to grow & improve your travel blog with my best tips after 9 years of professional blogging. After learning the hard way I want to share my tips. Continuing from my previous article about how to start a travel blog, it’s time to step it up a notch and share my best secrets for how to become a professional, successful travel blogger. The word professional meaning you earn a good living from blogging. I’ve been running a successful adventure travel blog for 9 years now. For the first year it was mainly for fun, but then I began to take it more seriously. These days it’s my sole source of income — and I earn six figures a year. There’s nothing wrong with blogging as a hobby. In fact, that’s as far as most people get. But if my overflowing email inbox is any indication, many of you are dreaming of turning travel blogging into a job. I’ll tell you right now t...

In 2015, I was about to make some big changes in my life.  I was already living abroad – in Australia to be exact.  I was quitting my “temporary” job on the farm to visit home after 20 months.   I would be home for 6 weeks which means I couldn’t get a real job again.  I thought it was the perfect time to try and concentrate on my blog and possibly become a freelancer.  Long term, this could become something bigger; something like digital nomadism?! If you are wondering how to become a digital nomad – let’s take a look at the options. 2020 update: I’ve been a digital nomad ever since.    One year later, I still haven’t worked a “real” job since.  I’m not rich at all, but I have nothing to complain about.  I have enough money to be out there (I was based in the UK when writing these lines), to travel once or twice a month, and to pay some silly debts off. Becoming a digital nomad was a brilliant decision! If you are...