Archive for 'Trip Planning'

Notes From the Home Front: Me versus My Calendar

Notes From the Home Front: Me versus My Calendar

Posted on 13. Jul, 2010 by .

I swear, my inspirational calendar is mocking me. I’m not even sure where it came from—maybe the printer my company uses gave them out. It’s big and glossy so I hung it up in my gray cubicle. All year it has sat up there, giving me smug messages: Focus: People with goals succeed because they [...]

Continue Reading

How the Internet Can Save You Money

How the Internet Can Save You Money

Posted on 04. Jul, 2010 by .

Spending Diet update! You can track how my own savings are progressing here. We live in a magical age. The internet makes so many things in life so much easier. Downloading music, online shopping, paying bills; all sorts of things that involve emptying your bank account. If the internet is so good at helping you [...]

Continue Reading

Your Travel Medicine Questions Answered!

Your Travel Medicine Questions Answered!

Posted on 13. Jun, 2010 by .

Getting sick abroad is not fun. Getting REALLY sick while traveling is the absolute worst (trust me, I’ve been there). Because I prefer to spend my time on the beach, not in the ER, I went in for a travel medicine consultation a couple weeks ago. I visited that Capitol Travel Medicine clinic in Arlington [...]

Continue Reading

Adding to Your Pot of Gold

Adding to Your Pot of Gold

Posted on 06. Jun, 2010 by .

Spending Diet update! You can track how my own savings are progressing here. Most of the tips I’ve been offering you guys up to now have been about how to make the most of the money you are already making (most likely from a traditional 9-5). I do recognize that there is only so much [...]

Continue Reading

An Important Addition to your Travel To-Do List: Exercise

An Important Addition to your Travel To-Do List: Exercise

Posted on 03. Jun, 2010 by .

Today’s guest post stresses a lesson I could stand to do better on myself: the importance of being physically fit while traveling. On Emei Shan last month, we reached roughly 1,200 meters’ altitude before I started to feel like I wanted to die. Which might sound like an achievement, except that we’d taken a cable [...]

Continue Reading

Notes From the Home Front: I Need A Kick in the Pants

Notes From the Home Front: I Need A Kick in the Pants

Posted on 09. May, 2010 by .

I have a confession. I’ve been procrastinating. Just a few months ago I was so excited about planning this trip! I had spreadsheets, word documents and a pile of highlighted guidebooks. I had information compiled, opinions stockpiled and a calendar with a big red X on it. I was gung ho and ready to go! [...]

Continue Reading

Savings, Sacrifice and the Psychology of Delayed Gratification

Savings, Sacrifice and the Psychology of Delayed Gratification

Posted on 02. May, 2010 by .

Spending Diet update! You can track how my own savings are progressing here (I’m over 75% of the way there with 4 months to go!). Of all the reactions I’ve encountered when telling people about my travel plans (and I’ve told close to a billion people at this point), the most infuriating actually came from [...]

Continue Reading

Operation Clean Sweep

Operation Clean Sweep

Posted on 04. Apr, 2010 by .

Spending Diet update! You can track how my own savings are progressing here. So here’s the deal: I have a LOT of stuff. I have four bookcases full of books. I have a closet overflowing with clothes (although strangely, nothing to wear). I have drawers full of unused electronics, knick-knacks and trash. I am currently [...]

Continue Reading

One is Company: Choosing to Travel Solo

One is Company: Choosing to Travel Solo

Posted on 01. Apr, 2010 by .

Christine has been a long time reader and commenter on this site, so I was really excited when she asked to write a blog post. As a big proponent of solo travel myself, I really like how Christine honestly weighs the pros and cons of deciding to go it alone. If you like this post, [...]

Continue Reading