‘What is your purpose in entering this country?’ It’s not an uncommon question when you’re going through customs, but it’s one that I’ve been thinking about an awful lot lately. It’s a question that definitely has right and wrong questions — and some serious ramifications for anyone who works from wherever they happen to be this week.
Congratulations to Fran, the winner of last week’s giveaway. Fran, look for an email from me to arrange sending out your book.
I have a couple of favorite places when it comes to dragging my laptop along on an adventure. Kinsale, Ireland is up near the top of my list. Mallorca, Spain is equally great. My grandparents’ cabin up in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado definitely ranks.
Over the weekend, I chatted with a girl who is headed off to college this fall. She’s pretty excited about being a six-hour drive away from her parents. She told me that she was excited to be traveling. I asked her if she was planning to study abroad — and I was pretty surprised by her answer.
I spend quite a bit of time on Twitter. Because I don’t go into an office or have the opportunity to hang out with the same people every day, I’ve found that Twitter has become something like my personal water cooler. I get a head’s up on what some of my favorite people are doing, including news on how their travels are going. I’ve made a list of some of my favorite travelers on Twitter and encourage you to take a look at what they’re up to. They’re in no particular order, though.
When it comes to traveling for the long-term, there seems to be a certain stereotype that we’re planning to simply wander around the globe — that our efforts are somewhat aimless. The fact of the matter is, though, that most people I know have certain places that they want to be on certain dates, as well as fairly specific ideas on how they’ll fill in the rest of their calendars. Conferences and conventions can be major parts of your traveling schedule, especially when you consider that your business or career can practically require them.
Motorcycle rides from Seattle to Panama. Tours to Bhutan and India. Backpacking in the Pacific Rim. Beth Whitman has had adventures spanning the globe — often on her own. She’s compiled her advice in for other women interested in traveling on their own in Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo
If the idea of driving around Australia, filming and blogging cool things sounds appealing for six weeks, you may be in luck.* The Van-Tastic contest from WorldNomads is now open. The winners for each Australian state (there’s 7 of them) get flown in from anywhere in the world, handed the keys to a van and pointed in the right direction. On top of all that, there’s $10,000 up for grabs between those seven sets of travelers, based on who creates the best videos.
My laptop and I are based in Oklahoma this week. I’m pretty sure most of my freelance clients haven’t even noticed that I’m on the road. I’ve gotten a ton of work done, along with seeing family, catching some great meals and even meeting a few people in person that I’ve been following on Twitter.
Whenever you’re pitching a potential story to an editor — whether we’re talking about a magazine or an online publication — you’ll be asked about your clips. Editors want to see the quality of your writing before agreeing to give you money and, honestly, I don’t blame them. But if you’re just starting out in your travel writing efforts, you may not have a collection of bought-and-paid-for articles you can show off.
