Twenty-Something Travel

Is the American Dream Holding You Back?

Posted on 31. May, 2011 by Steph.

“Two weeks a year?! That’s IT?” Sigh. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been drawn into this conversation. I’ve had it with Australians, with Germans, with Brits, all staring at me in wide-eyed amazement. They’ve probably just asked me why American’s don’t travel, a common enough question in Asia where I can go [...]

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Travel is Constant Change

Posted on 10. May, 2011 by Steph.

“I’m a change addict,” a woman at the Sydney YHA told me as she stuffed clothing into her backpack, “I just love the possibility of new things.” When you spend enough time in hostels, among other backpackers, the conversation turns to travel a lot. Where you’ve been, where you’re going, how long you’ve been gone, [...]

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On My Own

Posted on 19. Apr, 2011 by Steph.

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Is Tourism Good for Cambodia?

Posted on 07. Apr, 2011 by Steph.

All through my three months in South East Asia I’ve been wrestling with something I can’t quite define. As I’ve explored Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and now Cambodia, I’ve often felt uncomfortable with the high status that comes from being a white westerner in a land of extreme poverty. I’ve seen people react, in both good [...]

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10 Big Lessons I’ve Learned from Six Months of Backpacking

Posted on 22. Mar, 2011 by Steph.

It was 6 months ago to the day that I boarded my first flight for Tokyo, kicking off a new chapter of my life and career. Since then I’ve climbed the Great Wall of China, snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef and partied until the sun came up in Thailand. I’ve been attacked by both parrots [...]

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Sometimes I Don’t Love Travel

Posted on 13. Mar, 2011 by Steph.

There, I said it. Right now I’m sitting in my guesthouse in Vang Vieng, one of the party capitals of South East Asia. It’s famous for riverbed tubing and riverbank drinking. I tried to go tubing yesterday, but thanks to a really low water level and some crooked tuk tuk drivers I wasn’t very succesful. [...]

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Why I Don’t Have a Bucket List

Posted on 06. Feb, 2011 by Steph.

Have you heard of a bucket list? It’s both the name of some Jack Nicholson movie I’ve never seen, and a term for a list of things you want to do before you die (or you know, kick the bucket). Bucket Lists are really popular in the travel community because people who travel are usually [...]

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The Story so Far: Reviewing the Past Three Months

Posted on 04. Jan, 2011 by Steph.

As usual, this post is running a couple of weeks late. My actual 3 month travel anniversary (travelversary?) was December 22nd, but in the rush of the holiday season and the urge to push out as many Australia posts as I could, I’m only now getting around to seriously thinking on this past quarter year. [...]

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Milestones

Posted on 26. Oct, 2010 by Steph.

One year ago today I turned 25. I’m not one of those people who gets cranky about getting older, but I was still not so thrilled to be turning 25. 24 had been kind of a dull year, one of working a dull job, living at home, being hung up on old boyfriends and feeling [...]

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