Someone asked me why I claim to spend so much time travel planning, and I joked, ‘Because I’m OCD.’ The actual answer is that I research a lot before we step foot anywhere. That includes housing, customs, vocabulary, and activities. In case you want to do the same, here are the steps I take. I Book Housing I do this…
We are aware of how lucky we are to be able to travel around the world. And yet, we cringe a bit when our trip is called a vacation. Part of our reaction is that we work 15-40 hours each week at jobs in our respective fields. This requirement alone means that in each place we go:…
We have now been traveling for eight months straight, so we’ve tried quite a few airlines, train and bus companies, hotels, apartment rental sites, and everything in between. Here are our honest, un-sponsored loves and hates: Loves Airlines: Turkish Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, China Southern – All three served us meals and allowed us to check baggage, two of…
When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers. Ralph Waldo Emerson Occasionally, people who know about my travels…
I entered college knowing that I was going to be a French major. I had no intention of teaching it or being a translator, but I loved the language and the culture. My parents were horrified to see me waste so much money to learn something that I could get – as Matt Damon puts it in Good…
As anyone who has seen N’s recent Facebook pictures knows, my beard has been getting a bit long. I’ve been meaning to shave it for a long time, but December 1 (the end of “Movember”) seemed like a good time to do it. In the process of shaving, I tried a few different styles. Which…
A few days ago marked six months of international travel for me and B! Travelers often write about all of the things they’ve learned about the world in that time. We might eventually do that – though the best such post has already been written. Instead, I’m writing about all the things we’ve learned about ourselves. Directions: If we’re…
We’re at almost half a year of continuous travel, with one backpack and one computer bag each. Someone asked me what was inside those bags. What kind of clothing could possibly stand up to twenty-four weeks of wearing, washing, rolling, packing, unpacking, and folding? Underwear: 7 pairs each B has 3 types of underwear, 2 of…
Many people dislike mosquitoes, and I am certainly no exception. However, I do tend to be exceptionally affected by the little critters. Specifically, if I am somewhere with another person, I will always get bitten more – even if I am wearing more bug spray, longer sleeves, and an anti-mosquito bracelet. The other night, mosquitoes bit my hand,…
Before leaving on the trip, I started doing research into housing options for us. Since we would be staying for longer time periods, apartment rentals seemed like the thing to do. However, after scouring seven such (reputable) sites in multiple cities, they turned out to be quite the pricey proposition. Maybe if you’re traveling as…