I always strive to get a glimpse of the local culture when I travel, whether I am on a longer international trip or a short business trip. The longer you spend in a place, the more opportunity you have to hear, see, and feel. You start to understand the joys, the struggles, and priorities of […]
Awesome people I met while traveling: Meet Kim
I’m starting a new series about the people I met during my travel sabbatical because I want to share inspiring and interesting stories about regular people who have chosen to live life on their own terms, a life filled with travel. While I have great memories of quite a few “travel friends,” there are a […]
My First World Problems
My first week back home in Columbus was spent putting things away (not that I had much stuff to put away), buying necessities, and meeting up with friends. Overall, it has been an easy transition with little stress. (Yes, I am aware that the real transition will happen when I enter the corporate world again.) […]
Packing Round 2
One of the great things about my visit home is that I get a do-over on packing. I have obviously learned a lot about what I really need and do not need while traveling in Latin America. I was gone for 9 months, and I took very little with me. When I go back to […]
My Possessions: What I Chose to Keep
My co-worker Stacy asked me when I first left for this trip what I chose to keep and how I made those decisions. I told her I would write about it soon, but then I was more interested in writing about my experiences in Latin America… like hiking a volcano. The first week in Columbus, […]
6 Things I Have Learned About Me
When you travel alone for a long period of time, there can be this big expectation that you will suddenly have epiphanies about what you want to do with your life. I specifically went into this trying to keep that expectation at bay. I went into this knowing that I wanted to spend the next […]
5 Things I Have Learned About Living Simpler
Part of this experience is about living simpler. What exactly does that mean? For me, it means consuming less, which directly translates to spending less. It means living life without so many gadgets and “modern” comforts. But it is not just about living simpler. It is about living simpler and still enjoying life just as […]
A New Definition of Clean
How many times do you wear clothes before you wash them? Do you give your clothes the sniff test? Do you determine if you need a shower by sniffing your armpits? I’m not afraid to admit that I do all of these things. I have found a new definition of clean as I have been […]
A New Perspective: Expectations of Service
After spending over a week on the small island of Utila, I took a catamaran over to Roatán, the larger and more touristy of the Bay Islands. I knew Roatán would be more expensive, but I was shocked to discover it was expensive even by US standards. Of course, the reason is because it is […]
What Can You Buy for a Dollar?
I came upon this Lonely Planet article a while back, and I absolutely loved the concept and knew it was a topic I wanted to write about. When I first started breaking the news to my friends, family, and co-workers about my planned travel sabbatical, a lot of people asked me how I can afford […]