7 Things That Are Awesome About America

Washington Monument in America

Being away from my home country for so long—I’ve been traveling the world since 2007—but it didn’t just amplify the pet peeves I had about America. This time away has also given me a greater appreciation of the things that are good about America. Whether you’re visiting the country or you lived here your entire …

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11 Thoughts on Traveling Around the World for 11 Years

March 13 marks the anniversary of the date in 2007 when I turned over the keys to my house to travel around the world. It is the date I use to mark what I call my Travelversary. The last 11 years have totally changed my life in every way imaginable. I have been to more …

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Diving While Traveling

Like bungee jumping, tattoos and photography, SCUBA diving is something I never did prior to the start of my trip. I did my first dive and got my certification in Lahania in Maui. Since then I have dove in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, Palau and the Great Barrier Reef. Some of my dives have …

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Backing up your photos on the road

Over the last several days I’ve been going through packages of DVDs and hard drives I shipped home from the road with backups of my travel photos. After many hours I have finally assembled all my photos together and have created identical copies on two, 1 terabyte hard drives. Despite all the overseas shipments, the …

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Backing Up

The most valuable thing I carry around with me isn’t my computer or my cameras. It is my photos. I can replace any of the equipment I have, but I can’t replace the photos I’ve taken. That raises a pretty big problem for me. How can I make sure that I don’t lose the photos …

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Places Everyone Should Visit in the Middle East

Places Everyone Should Visit in the Middle East

From Petra to Pamukkale, the Middle East is bucket list worthy, with natural wonders, ancient history, and vibrant culture. Mesmerizing ancient architecture is a huge part of visiting the Middle East as well as satisfying culinary delights, distinctly different as you move from place to place. While many flock to the obvious wonder,: the Pyramids …

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Step Away From the Lonely Planet: A Requiem for Travel Guidebooks

This address is something which I’ve touched on before: the need for guidebooks when traveling. The impetus for this was spurred on by a Twitter discussion with Leif Pettersen, who declared: I declare that smugly claiming to be too cool or savvy to travel with a guidebook is officially passé and open for ridicule. Leif …

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Being Married to a Pilot: Luck or Suck?

Being Married to a Pilot – Luck or Suck?

When it comes up that I’m married to an airline pilot, I usually get told how lucky I am and how they’d love to be in my shoes. I usually just smile and nod, but I know all they see is that you can fly standby for free. Truth is, just like everyone else’s life, …

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Gutsy Women – A Traveler’s Life Lessons

No matter how long I travel or how many places I visit, there are certain questions that I will never be able to answer. One of them is what you need to know to travel as a woman. I’ve talked to many female travelers over the last several years, and without question, they have to …

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