One of the most important traits a traveler can develop is open-mindedness. Fortunately, anyone can become more open-minded. Here's how.
If you want to get the most out of your next trip—if you want to use your time on the road to learn and grow—courage is an indispensable thing to have. Here's a simple way that anyone can become courageous.
For those interested in getting the most out of their travels—on having exceptional, life-changing experiences—one of the most important skills to develop is adaptability. Here are 7 simple steps you can take to become more adaptable.
Is an unhealthy travel mindset sabotaging your vacations? Find out what to look for and learn the simple, three-step way to experience travel—and life—however you want to.
Even the most carefully-planned trips face obstacles. The difference between the trip you look back at fondly and the trip you look back at with distain is how you handle these problems. Fortunately, by following a few simple steps anyone can learn to overcome—and even welcome—travel obstacles.
Have you ever been disappointed by a trip even when everything went as planned? If so, you’ve been a victim of vacation expectations. Fortunately, there’s a way to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Here’s the secret.
Travelers who consistently have exceptional experiences share a common trait: they set travel goals. Fortunately, creating and accomplishing major, life-changing travel goals isn’t just for the hyper-motivated or über-persistent. There are a number of straight-forward steps that anyone can follow to design and fulfill their travel dreams.
When was the last time you asked yourself why you travel? Identifying your Why for traveling is one of the most important things you can do when planning a trip. It gives focus to your preparation, inspires action, and provides strength in challenging moments. Here's how to find your Why and travel with purpose.
One of the biggest obstacles would-be globetrotters face is fear. This is understandable. It’s normal to have a fear of traveling. After all, you need a lot of courage to leave the comfort and security of home for the unknown. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to suffer like I did before your next trip. Here's why.
It’s tempting to believe that travel is only for the lucky or privileged. Yet, the vast majority of world travelers are regular people. How are they able to visit distant lands and explore exotic cultures while so many others felt trapped at home? Simply put, they're making travel a priority. And you can do the same.
Do you feel pressure to go abroad? You're not alone. Today, we're bombarded by messages suggesting that the only way to be cultured, sophisticated, or worthwhile is to travel overseas. But what if you're not interested in traveling? Or what if you've decided to take another path in life that doesn't make jetting off so easy? Let's explore this and discover exactly why it's OK not to travel the world.
What is home? An innocent question with surprising consequences…especially for travelers. Find out how your answer can affect your mental and physical health.
When was the last time you let yourself wander while traveling? When was the last time you allowed yourself to explore freely while on the road? When was the last time you lived—even if just for a moment—without thinking of…
We all want to meet locals when traveling. Thankfully, this isn't only for the super charismatic or bold. By following a few simple rules, anyone can fill their next trip with authentic local experiences.
Trips don't have to be extreme to be worthwhile. While spending a year hiking through the Himalayas is immensely rewarding, it’s often easier to learn about the world, grow personally, and create life-long memories when you include moderation in life and travel.
Are you looking for a good reason to explore the world? Look no further than this list of 27 incredible and surprising benefits of traveling abroad, which have transformed my life. So pack your bags, and get ready for a journey of mental, physical, and emotional growth.
Are you looking for some travel inspiration? You’re in luck. Here are 127 of the most inspirational (and) best travel quotes, complete with numerous detailed explanations.
“Only those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” On this date 51 years go, Robert F. Kennedy said these words during an anti-Apartheid speech at the University of Cape Town. He had been invited there by a group…
With everything that’s been happening in the news lately, perhaps it’s inevitable that I’ve had fear on my mind. Not that I’ve been constantly afraid, but rather that I’ve been thinking about fear itself. In particular, I’ve been wondering where…
J.R.R. Tolkien was a British writer, poet, and professor. He is best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This week’s quote—“Not all those who wander are lost”—is part of a poem inside…
Eugene Fodor was a Hungarian-born American travel writer, editor, and businessman. He is best known for founding Fodor’s, the world’s largest publisher of English language travel books. Fodor was born in Léva, Hungary in 1905, in what was part of…
Saint Augustine [354-430] was an early Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings influenced both the development of Western Christianity and philosophy. He was bishop of Hippo, a Roman city in modern-day Algeria. His most famous works are The City of…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey everyone, I wanted to let you know that I’m experimenting with a new format at Thoughtful Thursday—one where there will be fewer links but more analysis on my part. This should not only save you time…
Laurence Gonzales is an an American writer, journalist, and survival skills expert. He is perhaps best known for writing the best selling book Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. Gonzales was born in St. Louis, Missouri but moved…
In the age of Donald Trump's travel bans and the fallout of Edward Snowden's leaks, many travelers are fearful that crossing the U.S. border—either on the way home or to visit—will result in a loss of personal privacy. But is this justified? Can officers search and seize your possessions? Can they scroll through your phone? To get the answer to these questions and to find out what you—the law-abiding traveler—can do to protect your privacy, I spoke with Raj Rathour, a lawyer with a passion for travel.
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may come…
Fyodor Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer, journalist, and philosopher. He is best known for his novels, which include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow in 1821. He became interested…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may come…
This week's travel quote comes from Lao-Tzu, a legendary Chinese writer and philosopher. Little is known about his life, but most scholars believe he was born in China during the sixth century BC, making him a contemporary of Confucius. He is best known…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may…
This week's travel quote comes from Gardner McKay, an American writer, actor, and artist. Throughout his life, McKay did things his own way. Having gained considerable fame in Hollywood during the 1950s and '60s, McKay elected to leave acting in the '70s to…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may…
Epictetus was a Greek-speaking Stoic philosopher from the first century AD. His teachings have influenced a wide range of people including the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the military commander James Stockdale, and the modern spiritual guru Eckart Tolle. Epictetus…
I was looking over Twitter the other day when something interesting caught my eye: the Travel Whispers Blogger Challenge. Designed by Stephanie Fox, the Travel Whispers Blogger Challenge is a series of questions designed to inspire real-life action, create dialogue between travel writers, and provide insights into the brains of your favorite bloggers. And while Stephanie originally intended for people to answer the questions at the end of 2016, I couldn’t resist giving it a shot (also, Chinese New Year was just a few weeks ago!).
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may…
Max Lucado is an American writer, preacher, and speaker. He has written over 100 books on the philosophy of life—many of which have become best sellers. Lucid was born into a working class family in Texas. He seldom traveled growing…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may…
Cus D’Amato was an American boxing manager and who helped train Mike Tyson, Floyd Patterson, and José Torres—all of whom are members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. D’Amato was born in the Bronx in 1908 to a family…
Erol Ozan is a writer, scientist, and professor of information technology at East Carolina University. He has degrees in electrical engineering, applied physics, and engineering management. In his novel Talus, Ozan writes “some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may…
Andrew Zimmern is an American chef, food writer, and television personality. He is perhaps best known for being the host and co-creator of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. This week’s travel quote—“Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try…
Tim Cahill is an American adventurer and traveler writer. He is best known for being the founding editor of Outside magazine. Cahill was born in Wisconsin in 1944. As a young man, he was a competitive swimmer, earning a…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week’s travel quote comes from Henry Miller, an American writer, literary critic, and thinker. He is best known for developing the semi-autobiographical novel format, which blended philosophical reflection, social criticism, and character study. Miller was born in Manhattan in…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week’s travel quote comes from Clint Borgen, an American entrepreneur, humanitarian, and thought influencer. He is best known for being the founder and president of the Borgen Project, an organization that works to bring U.S. political attention to…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week’s travel quote comes from Anna Quindlen, an American author, columnist, and journalist. She is best known for her New York Times op-ed column, Public and Private. Born in 1952 in Philadelphia, Quindlen began her career as a columnist…
If you’re like me, trying the local food is one of your favorite things to do while traveling. Fortunately, over the past year I’ve some incredible meals. Here are the stories behind 7 of the best things I ate while traveling in 2016—plus 1 that totally sucked (but was absolutely necessary)!
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week’s travel quote comes from H. Jackson Brown Jr., an American author and inspirational writer. He is best known for his book, Life’s Little Instruction Book, which was a New York Times bestseller. Born in Tennessee in 1940,…
Uncovering new music is one of my favorite parts of traveling. Whether cruising in your car, chilling in a cafe, or dancing at a club, you never know what tunes you will hear. And when you listen to them later on, you’re immediately transported back to the emotions you had the first time you heard them. Below are the 7 of the best songs I discovered while traveling in 2016 (and the stories behind them).
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
Oscar Wilde was a 19th-century Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. He is best known for the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, the play The Importance of Being Earnest, and his eccentric personality. Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854,…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week’s travel quote comes from Jaime Lyn Beatty, an American actress and singer. She is best known for appearing in the theatrical production A Very Potter Musical. Growing up in America, there was an underlying understanding that success in…
It’s happened to all of us. The trip's going great—there’s been adventure, variety, and excitement—but you start to feel overwhelmed. You absolutely need some order, and you need it now! This is normal. We need both variety and certainty in their lives, and if you’re not careful, travel can easily push this out of balance. Here are 3 simple ways to introduce more certainty and avoid feeling overwhelmed on your next trip.
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
Mandy Hale, is an American blogger and a best-selling author. Known as The Single Woman, Hale is committed to helping others live independent, fulfilled lives. This week’s quote, “Sometimes you have to move on without certain people. If they’re meant…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week’s travel quote comes from Gustave Flaubert, a nineteenth-century French writer and thinker. His novels are famous for their gritty realism and sensual themes. Flaubert was born in the french city of Rouen in 1821. He began writing at…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week’s travel quote comes from Louis L’Amour, an American novelist and short story writer. He is best known for his novels about the American West, but he also wrote science fiction and poetry. He was born in small-town…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week's travel quote comes from John Steinbeck, an American writer and Nobel Prize winner. Among his most famous works are East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck was born in California in 1902.…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week's travel quote comes from Mark Twain, the noted nineteenth-century American writer and humorist. He is best known for his novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is often described as "The Great American Novel". Twain was born Samuel Clemens in…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends, Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week. It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content…
This week's travel quote is attributed to Rudyard Kipling*, a nineteenth-century British journalist, poet, and novelist. He is perhaps best known for his 1894 novel The Jungle Book, which was later turned into a much-beloved cartoon by Disney. Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in…
This week's travel quote comes from Rolf Potts, an American travel writer and essayist. He is best known for his 2003 book Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel , which serves as both a how-to manual for…
Looking to find the perfect travel accommodation? Check out this infograph!
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends,Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week.It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may come across. No matter the…
This week's travel quote comes from Amelia E. Barr, a nineteenth-century British-American novelist. Born in England in 1831, Barr moved to the Texas at the age of 19, the lonesome landscapes and rugged inhabitants of which inspired a prolific career filled with semi-historical tales and novels. Although…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends,Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week.It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may come across. No matter the…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends,Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week.It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may come across. No matter the…
This week's travel quote comes from Lao-Tzu, a legendary Chinese writer and philosopher. Little is known about his life, but most scholars believe he was born in China during the sixth century BC, making him a contemporary of Confucius. He is best known…
Thoughtful Thursday Hey friends,Every Thursday I post the latest and greatest content related to travel and self-improvement that I've found throughout the week.It could include articles, videos, podcasts, books, photographs, or any other sort of thought-inducing content I may come across. No matter the…
This week's travel quote comes from Gardner McKay, an American writer, actor, and artist. Throughout his life, McKay did things his own way. Having gained considerable fame in Hollywood during the 1950s and '60s, McKay elected to leave acting in the '70s to…
What to bring on vacation — with limited cabin space and rising fees for overweight luggage, it’s an important topic to consider before traveling. While the contents of your suitcase should vary depending on the specifics of your trip, there are a few items that won’t ever belong there. Here are 11 things you should never bring with on vacation.
With the advent of the internet—and the wide variety of budget-friendly vacation options it has given birth to—the ability to travel regularly is no longer a luxury reserved for the super wealthy. Instead, it can be the result of a few lifestyle choices repeated regularly. Saving just a few dollars each day can quickly result in being able to afford life-changing trips. Below are 19 amazingly simple ways to save money and travel more—all of which you can start implementing today!
Want an infusion of wanderlust? Look no further than your bookshelf, local library, or bookstore! Here are 7 of the most inspiring travel books that I know of, all of which are guaranteed to make you want to take the next available plane to a faraway land.
The 80/20 Rule is a simple but powerful analytical tool that you can use to improve your travel experiences. It is based on the observation that things - whether concrete goods like real estate and wealth or more abstract concepts like happiness and suffering - tend to distribute unevenly and disproportionately, often in a roughly 80 to 20 ratio. Here are some ways the smart traveler can use the 80/20 Rule to enhance their next trip.