Hello! This has been a really busy month for me (what else is new). Here’s what’s going on in my world:
I was profiled by Bobbie Lee on her great new website Heels and Wheels. I talked about my experiences working abroad and my travel philosophy. I’ve also been working on quite a few guest posts which will hopefully be unfurling in the next month or so.
And speaking of guest posts…
I’ve reached the six-month mark on this blog and while I’m still loving writing for you guys the truth is I am starting to get a bit burned out. As I start to lay out the specifics for this RTW trip I’m realizing how time consuming that planning is going to be. I’m also working on some other projects that are taking up more of my time. It’s hard work to bring you great posts every week and I don’t want the quality of my content to suffer.
So we are going to try something new.
Last week I put out a call on Twitter for a couple of guest posters. I was shocked by the volume of responses: about a dozen interesting people emailed me wanting to write about their road trips in Spain, their favorite Australian beers and their tips for working and traveling abroad. I was thrilled.
The plan is to feature an interesting new guest post every Thursday. We’ll keep doing this until I run out of great posts. Not only will this free up some time for me, it should help new writers to gain some exposure. Most importantly it will provide you, the reader, with some diverse new information. I’m pretty excited about this and I hope you will give me you feedback as the guest posts start rolling out.
Enough about me, here are some great articles from the travel sphere from the past month:
- Art of Backpacking created this really great list of the 5 travel personalities you must know in 2010 (and I’m not just saying that because I’m on it!).
- Anil from FoxNomad gives a very straightforward introduction to RTW travel with What Is An RTW?
- The Fear of Going Solo is a common deterrent from traveling. JoAnna at Kaleidoscopic Wanderings explains the benefits and provides some great resources for those considering going it alone.
- I really enjoyed this Matador article by Akila from the Road Forks that asks a really important question: The Deadly Sin of Wanderlust: Is Long-Term Travel Selfish?
- I’m starting to plan my itinerary so I really appreciated this post from Go Backpacking on Destination Asia: Pruning Your Itinerary
- Nobody ever believes me when I say I’m shy, but I think that’s a testament that Shy People ‘Benefit Most from Gap Years Abroad’ as I-to-I reports.
- Another terrific Matador article on 5 tips for spicing up your travel journals, or how to get beyond “Today I ate breakfast at…”.
- An interesting and budget-saving technique for travel abroad is House Sitting, which is explained on Briefcase to Backpack.
- My buddies over at Hostel Dog are running a pretty neat contest for the best travel photo wallpaper.
Related posts:
Twitter Updates
Thanks for sharing these articles, Steph, I hadn’t seen some of them. Great interview with you. Also enjoyed the tips on how to spruce up journal entries (#3 and #5 are 2 I have come to realize are pretty important). And wow, would I love a house-sitting gig overseas.
I am not surprised to hear you are a bit burned out. Keeping an independent blog going, with regular posts on a regular basis, is very time-consuming, and when you then undertake something like RTW trip planning (which is also time-consuming), plus still have a F/T job you have to do (to earn the money to make that RTW trip!), something’s gotta give. I bet all independent bloggers get to that point eventually (I know I have!). I often envy the group bloggers, like the TravelingMamas. Sharing blogging responsibilities with a handful of other people sounds like a luxury to me.
Gray´s last blog ..Kudos
Glad I’m not the only one who feels that way at times. It is a LOT to take on but it’s also really rewarding so it’s worth it. I just don’t want to completely burn myself out before I even leave the country!
Thanks for the shout out and great round-up of articles for January. I’ve been really impressed with the content that’s been circulating the travel blog world this month.
JoAnna´s last blog ..Birds of Huatulco, Mexico
I know right? the blogosphere just keeps getting more interesting.
Thanks for the shout out! These are some great links and I hadn’t seen a few of them. Am checking them out right now!
Akila´s last blog ..unexpected funeral at wat chedi luang
Akila your blog is so consistently interesting and well written, I just love it. And you take the most amazing photos! I wish I could do that.
I haveN’t read through the entire article, but wanted to comment that I’m leaving Tuesday for a 6 month RTW trip. Planning is SO OVERWHELMING! International phones, visas, health insurance, vaccines, packing, equipment, etc. Good luck!
Wow Tuesday is soon! Planning is overwhelming but exciting too!
I appreciate the link and can’t wait to see the guest posts.
great! I’m pretty excited about them, looks like it will be a wide variety of subjects.