This month marks the five-year anniversary of LLworldtour — my first around the world trip and the start of this blog.  It also marks the fact that the last time I worked a full time job was also five years ago.  Holy cripes!  When I started blogging not only didn’t I even want to have a ‘blog’, I didn’t even like the word blog.  Blahhhhg.  Who would want that?  What is that?  It sounds like something you do after a long night of drinking.  ‘Oh, man I think I’m gonna blaahhhg.’

Like so many travelers I know, I just wanted an easy and fun way to keep in touch with friends and family back home.  Plus having a blog, gave me some structure, something ‘to-do’ as I traveled.  It gave me a home, a nucleus from which I could write and hone stories I would later pitch to publications.  It gave me some work which I like.   As a professional writer and television producer, I had already spent my career ‘telling visual stories’ and knew that travel, more than anything, would inspire me to write and share my photography with anyone who was interested.   Little did I know that this fun and easy project would become hard, at times, all-consuming, and would turn into my full-time work.

My good friend, Traci (hi T), convinced me to start this WordPress blog as the easiest way to keep in touch and a great platform for me.  Plus instead of sending out some squirrelly email, I could just have people subscribe who were interested (via Chicago start-up, Feedburner, where Traci worked, which has since been gobbled up by Google).

I had one rule when I left.  I never wanted the blog to feel like a job (obviously I have broken this rule now. Always the rule breaker).

Lisa's Tongue & Cheeks

And my readers grew fast. Back then, there were fewer of us bloggers out there.  I made amazing friends through this blog that I ending up meeting whenever I got to their place in the world (a shout out to all of you good friends I’ve made along the way and met through this very blog).

But, I will admit that five years later, at times, my blog has started to feel like a job.  But perhaps that is simply because it has now become my job.  I do make a bit of income from it and through it and I am extremely proud and thankful for that.   But admittedly, there are times when I am less inspired than I used to be.  Perhaps it’s simply because I’m not traveling as much as I was when I was literally living out of a bag for 3 1/2 years. Perhaps it is because sometimes ‘real’ life, and all of its ups and downs, gets in the way or clouds my love for travel.

So what do I do now?  About a year ago, I was attending my second TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) in New York City.  Picture it, me and hundreds of others just like me, all talking about the same thing for two days.  How boring is that?  Don’t get me wrong – I love meeting travelers and we always have something in common, but just not en masse (that’s French. I wrote about that too…imagine that?).   I know some people loved it, but I did not.  I did enjoy catching up with other travel friends. But like I’ve said before, I don’t travel to blog or blog to travel.  And I never wanted the two to become the same or even close.  Sure I have my own audience, but unlike before when it was mostly armchair travelers and dreamers or other actual travelers, now a good portion of my audience is other travel bloggers.  And let’s face it, we all end up writing about the same things one way or another.   Maybe I’m a good writer and photographer (hopefully you think so), but with today’s 140-character attention spans…who has even gotten this far in this post??  We all have written about how we could afford to travel and how it’s cheaper than you think, and how it’s all about the journey, or all about the food, or all about the people you meet. Yes, it’s all those things, but, at times, I am even tired of reading about it.

But it was at TBEX that a faint light bulb of an idea starting burning in my brain. Video was exploding all over the internet.  There was a panel talking about video on blogs. I thought, wait a minute, I know all this. In fact, I truly am an expert at this. There it was – my two worlds crashing together. BOOOM! Well it was more like a little ‘boom’.

So, one year later I  launched LLmedia, a video consulting business and a way for me to bridge my two careers together of TV production and travel writing/photography/blogging.  I am now helping other traveler bloggers and small businesses improve their video and simply learn how to make it better.  I have the credentials of 15 years in broadcasting (as a director, a producer, a writer, a videographer, and practically any other job in TV production and yes with three Emmy awards), plus I taught a weekly TV Production course at Columbia College Chicago for 6 years.  I’m very excited about my new venture and am giving myself perhaps another 5 years to see where it goes.

Anyway, this five-year anniversary milestone reminds me that I do not want to take things for granted.  I do not want to be lazy and wasteful and live with my eyes closed.  I am so very thankful for the life I have lived so far: what I have seen and done and what I strive to hopefully do.  I continue to get to see the world and meet amazing people far and wide….and that is one thing I hope that never stops.

I am thankful for the freedom I have, that I’ve created in my less-cluttered life which enables me to not rush through it and to be able to absorb and feel as much as I can around me.  I remember going on hikes in jungles or taking walks in cities and, since time was no factor, I felt like my senses were so much sharper than they’d ever been. I was really ‘seeing’ everything. I was smelling and tasting, hearing foreign languages, and contemplating it all inside my own head.  Everything was heightened.  It’s a great way to live: eyes wide open.  Thanks for continuing to journey with me.

What to expect from LLworldtour in the next year:

• An overdue complete redesign
• 1-2 posts per week max.
• Interviews with ‘different’ kinds of travelers – You may recall my awesome encounter with Dino Don. I plan to bring you more traveler stories…from people that travel for varying reasons and a lot of people that do NOT blog
• More Groovy Travel Tips
• More Photo Essays
• More Video
• More Reviews
• More Travel stories as I continue to explore new places…just for shorter time periods

What else would you like to see? Please let me know in the comments!

…And check out my new sites:

LLmedia
iLoveNewJersey
iLoveChicago

 If you enjoy this – please consider ‘liking’ my Facebook Page for more fun stuff!

Travel to Blog or Blog to Travel?

The Travel.

If it isn’t obvious by now, then you are probably doing less than skimming this blog.

To rinse and repeat:  I love to travel.  I got this little virus in my mid-twenties and haven’t kicked it yet, nor do I want to.  I haven’t always been a ‘round the world’ traveler, let alone a world traveler.  The idea to travel around the world by myself crept up on me in my thirties about 7 months before I chucked it all and left.  Before that, I just tried to travel when I could and go as far away as I could.  Sometimes I’d stay in a swanky resort in Mexico and I hadn’t stayed in a hostel really for about 10 years since my first backpacking trip.  Everyone travels differently and no one way is right or wrong.  Even I travel differently all the time…sometimes staying in a hostel or even in a stranger’s home and other times work has me in some pretty swank resorts or I treat myself to some hip, boutique hotel as I often did before my ‘world tour.’

Bottom line: I do NOT travel for you, sorry.  And I do not travel to make you jealous or envious.

I travel for me.  I travel to see the world before I die (life is short and unfortunately, I’m not immortal).  I travel to meet different people from different cultures.  I travel to learn.  I travel to change – myself and my own opinions and stereotypes.

The Blog.

When I started this blog in mid-2006, there seemed to be only a few of us out there.  Like many, I just wanted an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family while I was out in the world; to write my friends and regale them with some funny and interesting tales and showcase my photography.  And maybe inspire others to go travel or go after their dreams because maybe by seeing me do it, it would seem more doable, more attainable.  Fast forward four years and there is a glut of travel blogs jamming up the cyber waves and clogging in boxes and RSS feeds of those who voraciously read about others’ travels.   Some are amazingly well-written and the authors could be doing much more with their prose. Others are choppy or funny or just barely adequate.  Mine falls in there somewhere – that’s for you to judge not me.  Luckily for me, I was already a professional writer/producer in the broadcast television and media world, so I felt I had a little something extra in my back pocket as far as experience goes.  Lately there’s been a bit of a backlash because of all the travel blogs out there – good ones and bad ones; ones that stick around for years and others that are there during someone’s jaunt and then are basically abandoned; ones that have become big business and sometimes overshadow others of perhaps better quality (‘quality’ being subjective of course).  But like it or not, blogs are a real force now and are truly influencing not just other media, but our world and how we learn, debate, and relate to it all.

I personally rarely read other blogs.  I try to when I can, in order to keep up with my peers and friends, but frankly I am not even quite sure how others have the time to read so many posts everyday.   Of course I am thankful that people somehow have the time to read mine!  My readership has grown — many of my friends are still here (thank you!) reading along and many new friends have come along for the ride (thank you!).  I can honestly say, that I’ve always received good feedback and thankfully make people laugh and allow them to live vicariously through my travels or at least be inspired and learn a little about the logistics of travel and maybe about a time, place, or culture as I observed it.

Just as I did in the beginning, I blog to entertain. And I blog to share some of what I was able to see and learn from others so perhaps my readers can learn more and maybe have their curiosity piqued enough to at least look into something on their own or at best travel there themselves.

In the spirit of full transparency, like my cool friend Kirsty does so well over at Nerdy Nomad, this blog has also become a side job for me. I now make several hundred dollars a month (and sometimes more) mostly from advertising on my blog.  And I still don’t even really know much about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or if my writing style incorporates it or not.   Nor, do I plan to change my writing style to do so.  I’m still a writer and a journalist first, not a blogger.  I also indirectly make some other funds simply because this blog exists.   People have found me and my work on the internet and hired me through this progressive and non-traditional means.  Many folks looking for content producers of different forms (writing, photography, marketing, social media) have found me because of this blog and in turn hired me.   It is certainly not enough to travel or live on so I supplement it with my television producing gigs and other travel writing/publishing, photography work, and public relations stints.  But one thing remains the same: how I write. I have not compromised my style or changed the way I write in order to make money. I write about what I want, when I want, and frankly sometimes don’t feel like writing at all.  I approve all adverts and they are blatantly just that. I never slip any businesses, products, or services into my posts that I don’t personally recommend.   And I have still stayed true to my original reason for starting all of this – to entertain, inform, and inspire you (and even sometimes myself).

There is no way I could just be a tourist in the world for 2 ½ years.  I knew I had to mix it up to prevent boredom and burnout. I craved variety in my everyday life, so why would my life on the road be any different? Yes, of course, the constant change of scenery, culture, and people was variety in and of itself, but I knew I couldn’t just keep showing up in a new town each week and essentially continue to ‘walk around the world for a year.’  I needed to do, ya know, stuff. I needed to immerse myself somehow in society and feel like a part of it.  To start this process, I did different things like a Spanish Immersion program in Costa Rica (Spanish lessons in the morning and yes, surfing lessons in the afternoon) or a two-week, several-hundred mile bicycle trip down the length of Vietnam. But I needed even more structure. I needed…a job (cue shrieking horror music).

Now, just the sheer fact that I decided to blog about my trip and also write travel articles to be published elsewhere means that I was already working. I was trying to make time each week to sit and just write – a very hard thing to do when you are sitting in Rome or Cairo or Hong Kong and there are so many things around you vying for your attention.

Besides my new ‘day job’ as travel writer and photographer, I landed a few other actual jobs around the world.

1. Barrista and sandwich maker at a café in Melbourne
2. TV producer and reporter in Chile
3. Private business English tutor in Istanbul
4. Media proofreader in Istanbul
5. Actress in American Feature film in Istanbul
6. Research Assistant at the University of Cologne helping conduct an International survey on Airline/Airport Relationships
7. Writer and proofreader at publishing company in Berlin
8. Publicist for English Immersion company in Madrid
9. Extra in Hollywood
10. Pet Sitter around the world (Istanbul, LA, Chicago)

But many have asked me how did I find all these jobs? Did I look before I went on my trip?  The simple answer is no.  I simply arrived in a new place with the random idea that I could maybe find work there. In Australia, I spoke the language (sort of), so it seemed like a natural place to find a job other than teaching English. In Turkey, it’s all about connections and once I met one person…the ball just started rolling.  Besides that, I used persistence, word-of-mouth, and friends’ connections and a lot of smiles.

So, on this adventure, I worked all over and found it to be another great way to “go local.”  I lived in one place for an extended amount of time. I had a place to live. I took public transport (or a bicycle in Melbourne) to work. I had a schedule. I had a paycheck (well, cash). I truly felt like part of the fabric of society. And I actually gained some new skills, but most importantly I made real friends.

To hear more about my working around the world, listen to this podcast interview I did for Chris Christensen at the Amateur Traveler.

Amateur Traveler Episode 194 – Work and Travel Around the World

In the humble and oh-so-modest name of self-promotion, here is what’s been floating around the internet, and the radio and television airwaves about your favorite (or 3^rd favorite? Okay 5^th?), little ‘girl in the world.’

ABC’s Good Morning America – Budget Travel: How low can you go?  March 2009
Well, I was interviewed by Bill Weir and quoted on their website. Too bad the video never made air. Read the online story here where I am mentioned in the very end.

The Trip Chicks Radio Interview
While I was traveling through the Baltics, I was interviewed over the phone by Ann Lombardi of the Trip Chicks on her USA radio show: Travel Escapes which is broadcast in Atlanta and on the net. Check it out here.

MSNBC.com – The New Nomads April 2009
Nationally syndicated Travel Columnist, Chris Elliot, talks about the “New Nomads” including yours truly.

The Daily Record – Next Stop: The World April 2009
These nice folks came back for more. They did a follow up story on me and my travels to the one they’d already done about two years ago.

2008 Weblog Awards Finalist
LL World Tour was recently voted as a top 10 finalist in the 2008 Weblog Awards.

For more stories about LLWorldTour or to see where some of my writing and photography has been published you can always go to the LL Media/Press page.

Thanks for continuing to support me and travel vicariously (and literally) with me!

Many say I’m living a dream.  And many say that quitting everything to travel around the world, is just not possible and too hard for them to do. To that I say – rubbish! I did it. You can do it.

I think in fantasy this is a dream trip for many. But in reality, the packing, leaving everything behind, quitting, figuring out finances, and saying good-bye for a year or more is just way too much of a brain drain and risk for most. But it really is just the decision to do it that is the biggest hurdle – the rest just happens, life happens, and it can be amazing.

So, if you are thinking of making a change in your life or taking off for an extended trip, put on your Nikes and ‘just do it!’ If you are already planning a trip then good for you – because the hardest part is over – deciding to do it and figuring out how to make it work for you. I would definitely say it is not that hard and is cheaper and easier than you think. If you have the opportunity and the freedom to just go – grab the chance now while you can.  Don’t put if off for tomorrow, because we all know something will always come up to get in our way. It’s easy to say ‘carpe diem’, ‘seize the day’ and all that jive or forward on the motivational emails that swirl around, it takes guts and chutzpah to try and make it your life everyday.

So, for those just tuning in now…thanks so much for stopping by.

Here’s the 30 second/300 word recap:

I am a three-time Emmy-award-winning Television Writer/Producer/Photographer. I produced a variety of shows including a lifestyles and entertainment magazine show on ABC Chicago for the last ten years. After nearly fifteen years in Television, I decided to take a sabbatical of sorts (read: I quit), which turned into 2+ years traveling and working my way around the world.  I have written about the adventures that ensued as I schlepped my bag around the globe on this website which has had hundreds of thousands of hits and subscribers from all over the world.  I was recently interviewed for ABC’s Good Morning America.  My site was listed as one of the “Travel Blogs I can’t live without” in 2008 and top twenty “most-inspirational’ blogs of 2007“ by nationally syndicated columnist Chris Elliot and I was also featured in the Chicago Daily Herald, the NJ Daily Record, Women on the Road, “Panorama Europeo,” a radio show broadcast in Italy, Spain, and Argentina, and on Chicagoist.  Furthermore, my articles and photographs have been published by Sunset Magazine, Smithsonian Online, The Dallas Morning News, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Go Nomad, Brave New Traveler, and The Savvy Gal.

During the last two and a half years, I took Spanish and surfing lessons in Costa Rica, rode through the narrow fjords and icy glaciers of Chilean Patagonia, hiked up a snowy volcano in Ecuador, swam with dolphins off the coast of New Zealand, climbed high atop the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, sand-boarded the dunes of Dubai, kayaked between the pristine islands of Belize, climbed like Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai in Egypt, and successfully accomplished a two-week bicycle tour through the countryside and rice fields of Vietnam.  I have also found work in many places-I served up coffee and sandwiches in a café in Melbourne, taught private business English lessons in Istanbul, performed proofreading work for a Turkish media conglomerate, acted in an American documentary being filmed in Istanbul, worked as a research assistant at the University of Cologne, was a pet sitter and an ‘extra’ in Los Angeles, did public relations for an English immersion company in Madrid and did some English voice recording for a publishing company in Berlin. All the while I’ve been documenting my trip with photographs and articles from the road/train tracks/rickshaw/camel.

So dive in and take a look back at the more than 200 posts here and take a ride with me on the trips and tips, the people and places, the laughs and adventures around the world. I hope it will inspire you and show you that the world in which we all live is an awesome place. And stick around…because, I promise, there is much more to come…

If you’ve been reading along, you may remember I spent a few months living and teaching English in Istanbul last year.  It was an amazing city that left an indelible mark on my soul. I recently sold some photographs and another article to the Smithsonian on Istanbul. Check it out here and be sure to click on the photo gallery.

With a skyline studded with domes and minarets, Istanbul is one of the truly great romantic cities. In Turkey’s largest city, the continents of Europe and Asia come together as West meets East, separated only by the 18 miles of the Bosporus Strait that stretches from the Black Sea in the north to the Sea of Marmara in the south. And in the less literal sense, on the vibrant streets of this city of 12 million people, miniskirts and trendy boots mingle with colorful Muslim head scarves and prayer beads.

Origins:

Istanbul is a treasure trove of history still being uncovered. Archaeological remains show that people have inhabited the immediate area of present-day Istanbul for tens of thousands of years. In 2008, during the construction of the new Marmaray rail tunnel (connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul), a previously unknown settlement dating from 6500 BC has been discovered.  In its long history, Istanbul served as the capital city of the Roman Empire (330-395), the Byzantine Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). The city was recently chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010. Istanbul has continued to expand dramatically; today its population is approximately 13 million and increases at an estimated 700,000 immigrants per year. Industry has expanded even as tourism has grown. It continues to be a city that creates its own history at the intersection where both Continents meet.

Then and Now:

Its history traces back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place as capital of the Ottoman Empire, the most powerful Islamic empire in the world. Today it pulsates as Turkey’s cultural heart and business center.  Urban sprawl has created an Istanbul larger in area than the state of Rhode Island and more populous than all of Greece or Belgium.  Turkey continues to be the center of news and some controversy.  In October 2005 negotiations began between Turkey and the European Union for Turkey to be considered as a possible member of the EU in the future. A conflict persists between the 20-25% Kurdish population and the Turkish government.  For many citizens, women’s dress has become an issue that defines whether a Muslim is secularist or religious. Today, many women are using head scarves as religious symbols against modern Turkish society. The head scarf issue creates lots of problems in the society and in the government between conservatives and modernists.

Appeal:

Istanbul is a jewel box of old and new. Skyscrapers and some of Europe’s largest shopping malls cater to the more affluent set while the old quarter, parts of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, continues to dazzle locals and tourists alike with its cobblestone streets, awe-inspiring centuries-old mosques, and the grandeur of the Topkapi Palace which was the official and primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans, from 1465 to 1853. Considered to be the world’s fourth largest cathedral, the magnificent Hagia Sofia museum was originally built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537 AD.  Originally a Byzantine church and later an Ottoman mosque, this marvel is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world. In this growing city, you can explore the streets where crusaders once marched; admire mosques that are the most sublime architectural expressions of Islamic piety; peer into the sultan’s harem; and hunt for bargains in the world’s original shopping mall, the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 6,000 shops, and between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

Who goes here:

In 2007, more than twenty-seven million tourists visited Turkey. In the lively and historical city of Istanbul, there are thousands of hotels and other tourist oriented industries in the city, catering to both vacationers and visiting professionals. As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, and Turkey’s financial capital, Istanbul has also become a large center for business and business travelers. It has become one of the world’s major conference destinations and is an increasingly popular choice for the world’s leading international associations. According to Forbes magazine, Istanbul had a total of 35 billionaires as of March 2008, ranking 4th in the world behind Moscow (74 billionaires), New York City (71 billionaires) and London (36 billionaires).

Turkey’s beaches are widely popular with Europeans and Russians looking for some sun and sand. And with 5000 miles of coast stretching from the Mediterranean to the Aegean to the Black Sea (just an hour’s drive from Istanbul) there is a sandy spot for everyone.

Istanbul’s appeal among tourists is mainly a result of the vibrant cultures that have flourished in the city and the melting pot of different religions that have existed side by side throughout history.

Famous sons and daughters:

Elia Kazan (September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was born Elias Kazanjoglou in the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) to a Greek family. He was an Academy Award-winning film and theatre director, Tony Award-winning theatrical producer, screenwriter, novelist and cofounder of the influential Actors Studio in New York in 1947. He directed such Broadway plays as “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. He directed the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, and many other films.

Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born June 7, 1952 in Istanbul) is a Turkish novelist and professor of comparative literature at Columbia University. Pamuk is one of Turkey’s most prominent novelists and his work has sold over seven million books in more than fifty languages, making him the country’s best-selling writer. His fourth novel, New Life, became the fastest-selling book in Turkish history.  Pamuk’s novel Kar (English translation, Snow), explores the conflict between Islamism and Westernism in modern Turkey. The New York Times listed Snow as one of its Ten Best Books of 2004.  Pamuk is the recipient of numerous national and international literary awards. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006, becoming the first Turkish person to receive a Nobel Prize.

Hidayet Türkoğlu, commonly referred to as Hedo Turkoglu (born March 19, 1979, in Istanbul, Turkey) is an NBA basketball player for the Orlando Magic. He stands 6 feet 10 inches tall and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award for the 2007-2008 NBA Season. Basketball is rapidly gaining popularity in Turkey. In fact, the Turkey national basketball team came in second in the European Basketball Championship in 2001 in Istanbul and in 2010 Istanbul will host the 2010 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Championship, which could introduce more Turks to the game.

Ahmet Ertegün (July 31,1923 - December 14, 2006) was the son of the Turkish Ambassador to the United States. He was born in Istanbul and moved to the United States where he became the co-founder and executive of Atlantic Records. He wrote and produced music, defined careers and changed lives. He is described as “one of the most significant figures in the modern recording industry.” By the mid 1950s, Atlantic had become the country’s preeminent R&B label producing hits by such artists as Ray Charles and the Drifters.  The “Atlantic Sound” — a boogie-based, sax-led band arrangement that became an integral part of rhythm and blues — grew into a phenomenon that swept across the nation and the world. In England, young musicians would buy records just because the Atlantic label was on the sleeve. They would grow up to become members of groups like the Rolling Stones, Cream, Led Zeppelin and Genesis.

In 1987, Ertegün was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, of which he himself was a founder. At age 83, he was injured after a fall at a Rolling Stones performance in New York in 2006 for the 60th birthday of former US President Bill Clinton Ertegün slipped and hit his head backstage. Although he was initially in stable condition, he soon took a turn for the worse, slipping into a coma later dying with his family by his side.

Interesting Facts:

Turkey sits directly on at least three active earthquake faults. Thirteen major quakes have rocked Turkey since 1939-the latest was a 7.4 magnitude whopper in 1999 which killed more than 18,000 people.  Istanbul straddles one of the most active seismic fault lines on the globe. A few miles away beneath the Marmara Sea, the North Anatolian fault line is stirring, and scientists are predicting a major rupture within the next few decades and say the question is not ‘if’, but ‘when?’

The secular country of Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who was an army officer, revolutionary statesman, and its first President. An admirer of the Enlightenment, Atatürk instituted wide-ranging and progressive political, economic, and social reforms, transforming Turkish society from perceiving itself as Muslim subjects of a vast Empire into citizens of a modern, democratic, and secular nation-state. Atatürk also wanted to solve the literacy problem. He created a Language Commission who developed a brand new Turkish alphabet using the Roman alphabet in 1928.

The American doughnut shop operator Krispy Kreme announced in 2008 that it will franchise about 25 outlets in Istanbul that will open in the next five years.

There are some new buzzwords in the world of travel: ‘Stay-cations,’ ‘Volunteer Vacations’ and ‘Voluntourism.’ During my travels, I was fortunate to do all of these. Some of my most memorable moments were while volunteering. Check out an article I recently wrote for the Boston Globe on how to give back while on vacation.

Tired of lying on the beach with nothing to do, but get the sand out of your shorts? Sick of traipsing around a new city with a ripped map and waiting on lines for museums full of other sweaty tourists? Now more than ever travelers are looking for a new kind of vacation. Traveling with a purpose and volunteering during our vacations is becoming increasingly popular. With voluntourism, you can travel to beautiful regions of the world, meet and work with locals, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow volunteers. And with today’s economy forcing many to cut back on their vacations, these types of trips are typically a lot more affordable than your routine all-inclusive holiday at the ‘all-you-can-eat’ resorts of the Caribbean.

In our global village, we are becoming more and more committed to giving back when we travel; to contributing to communities rather than taking from them. By now, you’ve probably heard of ‘voluntourism’, but it’s a new day and there are many more options out there for the traveler who may shy away from some hardcore volunteer experiences like risking life and limb with the Peace Corps, pounding nails with Habitat for Humanity, or the ubiquitous English teaching gigs.
Here are some more unique experiences that can not only save you money and give you an amazing adventure, but provide valuable manpower to local communities around the globe.

Crisis, London:
‘To give is better than to receive;’ so why not really give back this holiday season? Travel to London, for a unique program called Crisis Open Christmas. During the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, more than 1,500 ‘homeless guests’ are welcomed at eight different empty office buildings spread around London. The guests are not only provided with warmth, companionship, food, and a safe place to sleep, but also amazing services such as checkups from on-site doctors, professional advice, and other treats like an arts and crafts center, a computer lab, karaoke, live musical entertainment, and even a mini beauty saloon for some pampering of massages and hair treatments. Volunteering here for a few days allows you to actually get to know some of the folks by name and give them the gift of friendship and human interaction, something they crave and often do without.

Crisis
66 Commercial Street
London, E1 6LT
UK
Tel: 011-44-844-251-0111
Email: volunteering@crisis.org.uk
Web: www.crisis.org.uk

Pueblo Ingles, Spain:
The most rewarding travel experiences always seem to involve interacting with locals and traveling on a more ‘down to earth’ level. Now, imagine a week in sunny Spain meeting local professionals with all your lodging and meals completely free. There is one catch-you have to speak English. Pueblo Ingles offers Americans a ‘different kind of vacation’ in Spain by bringing native English speakers from all over the world together with Spanish businessmen and women at a rural 4-star resort in a beautiful countryside setting for an intense week of speaking English, all around good times, and fun. It is basically like a ‘camp for English,’ but there is no teaching just talking…and lots of it. This is a very unique opportunity-not only for Spaniards to be immersed in the English language for a week, but also for English-speaking travelers to be immersed in the rich culture of Spanish life by really getting to know the people firsthand.

Pueblo Ingles
Rafael Calvo 18, 4A
Madrid 28010
Spain
Tel: 011-34-913- 913- 400
Email: anglos@puebloingles.com
Web: www.puebloingles.com

Best Friends, Utah:
For more than two decades, Best Friends Animal Society has been dedicated to the simple philosophy that kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us. This sanctuary at Angel Canyon, in southern Utah, is home on any given day to about 2,000 dogs, cats, and other animals, who come from shelters and rescue groups around the country for the special care they can only receive at Best Friends. Thirty-thousand folks visit the sanctuary every year to take tours and volunteer. Animal lovers can help with the work of feeding the animals, cleaning their living areas, grooming them, taking them for walks, and socializing with them. There are cabins to stay in on the property or motels nearby in the town of Kanab, Utah.

Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angel Canyon Road
Kanab, Utah 84741-5000
Tel: (435) 644-2001 ext. 4119
Email: volunteers@bestfriends.org
Web: www.bestfriends.org

Volunteers for Israel
Put on your combat boots and volunteer for the Israeli Army. Meals and lodging are paid for during the week and then you are free on the weekends to explore this history-rich country. The majority of volunteers are assigned to work on army bases with tasks ranging from kitchen duties to simple mechanical repairs. Volunteers will work alongside or under the direction of soldiers and perform duties such as packing food rations or medical kits, changing spare parts, gardening, painting, or cleaning.

Volunteers for Israel
P.O. Box 67532
Chestnut Hill, MA O2467
Tel: 866-512-3255
Email: info@vfi-usa.org
Web: www.vfi-usa.org

Earthwatch Institute
Observe the lives of fur seals and contribute to the conservation of the Bering Sea. Help the world’s fastest mammal in a race against extinction in Namibia’s ranching heartland.
These are just a few of the amazing volunteer opportunities available at the Earthwatch Institute. This international non-profit organization brings science to life for people concerned about the Earth’s future. Founded in 1971, Earthwatch supports scientific field research by offering volunteers the opportunity to join research teams around the world. Today, Earthwatch recruits close to 4,000 volunteers every year to collect field data in the areas of rainforest ecology, wildlife conservation, marine science, archaeology, and more. Through this process, they educate, inspire, and involve a diverse array of people, who actively contribute to conserving our planet.

Earthwatch Institute
3 Clock Tower Place, Suite 100
PO Box 75
Maynard, MA 01754
Tel: 1-800-776-0188
Email:info@earthwatch.org
Web: www.earthwatch.org

When traveling, the places we see may be amazing, but we quickly learn it’s more abut the people we meet. Encounters with locals and making new friends are the memories that last forever. Check out my article for Brave New Traveler on how to spice up your travels and really immerse yourself in your new, albeit temporary home.

One of the biggest reasons to travel is to expose yourself to a new culture, to see how things are done in another place and do your best to join ‘em. As a traveler, you should strive to embrace these differences, not fight them. Try to really immerse yourself, not in your guidebook, but in the place you are at the moment. Stop. Look. Listen. Think about all your senses. Smell those roses and just breathe it all in.

Here is a list of some general “DON’TS” to heed when on foreign soil.

DON’T Hail a Taxi

Stretch your travel budget by avoiding these gas-guzzling, wallet-draining rides as much as possible. Most cities ‘round the world have some amazing public transportation that is often very clearly marked and easy to understand if you just take a few minutes to become familiar with the system. It’s a great feeling of

One Million Dong!

accomplishment to navigate your way through the airport right to the city bus or metro train, join the locals aboard and soak up the view into town.

DON’T change cash at a cash exchange or bank

Nowadays the ATM card is the only way to go. Before you leave home, make sure your bank card will work in the country your visiting. If you can, get a duplicate spare card and stash it somewhere in your bag just in case you lose your main one. Banks and cash exchanges charge commissions and you will almost always get the best exchange rate by using your bank card.

Dubai Fries with that?

A billion served in Bangkok.

DON’T find the nearest McDonald’s

First of all, if you must, you can always eat at McDonald’s, KFC, or Starbucks at home. You are somewhere different—take it all in by indulging in the many tempting treats at your fingertips. From local food stands to gastropubs to sensory-overloading markets, trying local foods can be a cheap, fun, and a palette-expanding experience.

DON’T only go to Irish pubs or expat bars and spend the week getting drunk with other expats

It’s time to immerse yourself in not only the culture of the city, but the people. Meeting locals is one of the very best things about travel. One of the best places to do this is at the local watering hole where the beers are cheap and the people are almost always friendly. It’s a way of embracing our differences and realizing how alike we all are at the same time. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to enrich your trip tenfold.

DON’T just stay and party at your hostel the entire week

Blonds have more fun??

Yes, hostels are great. We all know the amazing benefits and it can be comforting to be around other travelers and your fellow countrymen to vent, empathize and share general travel highs and lows. But don’t let this be all you do. Get out. You are traveling to discover new places and people.

DON’T blather on in English

We are extremely fortunate to speak English and even more fortunate that so many people in the world do as well. But don’t expect everyone to speak English or understand you. Please take the time to learn a few words in the mother tongue of the country you are visiting. Challenge yourself to try and speak the local dialect. Greeting someone with a smile in their language is so easy to do and goes a long way.

Stuck in Lonely Planetville.

DON’T keep your nose in a travel guide

There is no denying that your dog-eared, coffee-stained Lonely Planet Guide is an extremely helpful amalgamation of maps, tips, and sleep/eat suggestions. But don’t become too LP dependent. Pick up a local paper. Ask other travelers. Query your inn-keeper where he likes go. Then leave your guide book there and explore.

DON’T keep your eye in the viewfinder

It is the extremely rare traveler that does not have a camera in pocket. We tend to sightsee with one eye looking through a lens or nowadays into an LCD screen. It’s great fun to capture what you’ve seen and take home these precious memories. But take a moment and put the camera away. Focus on the here and now—breathe it all in—the sights, sounds, smells—of this moment.

DON’T expect things to be how they are at ‘home’

Whether you are in Tulsa or Timbuktu or Togo, remember that each place has its own way of doing things. Open yourself up to the idea that just because you grew up learning to do something one way does not mean it is the right or best way.

It all comes down to opening yourself up and exposing all of your senses to this amazing experience of travel. If you do, you will know it is much more than sightseeing and souvenir-shopping. The greatest gifts come from not what you see or buy, but whom you meet and the experiences you share with new friends from all over the world.

When we travel it’s nice to put English on the shelf for awhile and try to learn a new language…or at least the most important phrases – ‘please,’ ‘thank-you,’ and, of course, ‘cheers!’ Check out my article recently published on Matador Nights on “How to Say Cheers in 50 Languages.” Sante.

The ancient Egyptians did it. The ancient Chinese did it. And so did the Greeks. Evidence shows us that people around the world have been partaking in booze for thousands of years. Following suit, the act of ‘toasting’ and clinking glasses together, has been taking place for so long that it’s origins are quite blurry. There are many debated theories out there—the most popular being the noise of ‘clinking’ was to ward off evil spirits. Another tale touts that by crashing glasses together, the libations in each glass would slosh into the other’s cup, therefore proving neither was poisoned. Regardless, people all over the world continue to drink together and toast together. Most commonly the toast translates to ‘good health,’ something we all need after one too many.

When traveling the act of sharing a libation with a local brings people together all over the world. So it’s very important that you learn how to say “cheers” to your new found friends. Here is a cheat sheet for you to print out, laminate, tuck into your passport, or copy to your cell phone. Enjoy.

1. Afrikaans: Gesondheid! (Ge-sund-hate)
2. Albanian: Gëzuar! (Géschuar)
3. Arabic (Egyptian): في صحتكم!(Fee-sa-ha-tak)
4. Armenian: Կենացդ (gen-ots-nute)
5. Azerbaijan:i Afiyët oslun!(Afeeyet Ohs-lun)
6. Basque: On egin! (On egín)
7. Bosnian: Živjeli! (Zhee-vi-lee)

Candy is Dandy, But liquor is quicker.
[© 1936 by Ogden Nash, REFLECTIONS ON ICE-BREAKING]

1. Bulgarian: Наздраве! (NAZ-dra-vey)
2. Chinese (Cantonese): (Gom bui)
3. Chinese (Mandarin): 乾杯! [干杯!] (Gan BAY)
4. Czech: Na zdravi (NAZ-drah vi)
5. Croatian: Živjeli! (ZHEE-vi-lee)
6. Danish: Skål!(Skol)

Drink is the feast of reason and the flow of soul.
–Alexander Pope

1. Dutch Proost! (Prohst)
2. English Cheers! Bottoms up! Down the hatch! Here’s mud in your eye!
3. Esperanto Je via sano! Toston! (YEH VEE-ah SAH-no/Tóston)
4. Estonian Terviseks! (Ter-vi-seks)
5. Ethiopian (Amharic) Letenachin (L’-TAY-nah-chin)
6. Farsi (Ba-sal-a-ma-TEE)

Eat thy bread with joy,
and drink thy wine with a merry heart.
—Ecclesiastes 9:10

1. Finnish: Kippis! (KEEP-us)
2. French: Sante! (Sahn-tay)
3. Gaelic (Irish): Sláinte! (Slawn-che)
4. German: Prost! (Prohst)
5. Greek: στηνυγειάσας! (Stin Eyiassou/Stin Eye-ee-yass-ooh)
6. Hawaiian :Okole Maluna! (Å’kålè ma’luna)

Payday came and with it beer.
-Rudyard Kipling

1. Hebrew: לְחַיִּים!/L’Chaim! (Le Hy-em)
2. Hungarian: Egeszsegere! (Egg-esh Ay-ged-reh)
3. Italian : Salute! Cin cin! (Salu-tay/Chin Chin)
4. Japanese: /Kampai! (Kam-pie)
5. Korean: 위하여 (Gun-bae)
6. Latvian: Prieka! (Pree-eh-ka)
7. Lithuanian: i sveikata!(Ee sweh-kata)

The problem with some people is that
when they aren’t drunk they’re sober.
-William Butler Yeats

1. Luxembourgish: Prost!(Prohst)
2. Maltese: Evviva! (A-vee-va)
3. Mongolian: Эрүүл мэндийн төлөө! (Erüül mehdiin tölöö)
4. Norwegian: Skål! (Skoal)
5. Persianبه سلامت: ی!(beh salamati)
6. Polish: Na zdrowie! (Naz-droh-vee-ay)
7. Portuguese: Saúde! (Sow-ooh-jee)
8. Romanian: Noroc! (No-roak)

Work is the curse of the drinking class.
-Oscar Wilde

1. Russian: Будем здоровы! (Boo-dem Zdo-ro-vee-eh)
2. Serbian: Ziveli! (ZHEE-vi-lee)
3. Slovak: Na zdravie! (Naz-drah-vee-ay)
4. Spanish : ¡Salud!(Sah-lud)
5. Swedish: Skål! (Skol)

Here’s to you and here’s to me,
the best of friends we’ll ever be,
but if we ever disagree,
to hell with you and here’s to me.

1. Thai: ไชโย!(Chok-dee)
2. Turkish: Şerefe! (Sher-i-feh)
3. Vietnamese: Chúc sức khoẻ!/ Một hai ba, yo! (chook-sa-koi-ah/Maht, hi, bah, yo!)
4. Yiddish: געזונטערהייט! Zei Gazunt! (Zye GAH-zoont)
5. Zulu: Oogy wawa!(oogee-wawa)

Undoubtedly you will be making many toasts in your lifetime and hopefully in many different languages. So hoist a glass with some new friends and drink in the moment. Cheers!

A new place, a new language, a new currency – when we travel there is a learning curve, but it can be fun and should all be taken in stride as part of the adventure. Check out my article: 10 Ways to Avoid Getting Lost in a New City,” recently published on Brave New Traveler.

You just landed in a new city in a foreign country after a 57½ hour flight from Des Moines. You’re tired. You’re hungry. You’re jet-lagged. You manage to eek through immigration and schlep your bags onto the metro heading downtown (or so you think so). You emerge from the bowels of the subway into the blinding sunlight and realize you have no idea where you are. Sound familiar? It happens to the best of us, the rest of us, and the most seasoned travelers. We all get disoriented sometimes. Personally I think there is no such thing as really ‘lost’–I like to think of it more as just not ‘found’. But, either way, what do you do?

1. Don’t panic. First of all, you are in a city, not an Amazonian jungle. There is food and shelter (and probably a McDonalds) on every corner.

2. Ask the locals (really the only tip you should need). Not only are people almost always willing to help, it gives you a great excuse to talk to folks if you are feeling lonely. If you are feeling a bit scared, perhaps ask women. This is a good way to practice your Spanish or Vietnamese anyway (always learn the most important words: ‘thank you,’ ‘hello’, ‘excuse me’). Don’t worry about a language barrier. If you are reading this article, you are fortunate enough to know a language that is spoken all over the world.

3. Look for big landmarks. In cities like Chicago, New York, and Paris there are some pretty tall, famous buildings usually visible no matter where you stand that can give you a bit of a directional boost. Even the roughest New Yorkers still sometimes emerge from the subway and need to find the Empire State Building so they can orientate themselves and continue on their way to Carnegie Deli.

4. Pack a compass or go old school and seek out the sun. No matter where you are in the world, the sun still sets in the west (I’m making the assumption you aren’t lost at the North or South Pole).

5. Check out the tourist information office. One of the first things you should do is drop by this helpful place, if for no other reason than to get a good map. These goldmines of free maps and advice are typically located in airports, train, and bus stations.

6. If you are staying at a hotel that was recommended by your guidebook, there is often a city map in the book with the hotels marked on it. While you are biding your time on the 10 hour train, bus, or airplane ride to your next destination, see where your lodging is on the map in relation to where you are coming into town and make a plan on how you will get from point A to point B.

7. When you first check into your hostel or hotel, always take a business card (so you have the address and phone number with you at all times—to show taxi drivers, etc.) and also find the hotel on your map and mark it.

8. Retrace your steps—remember landmarks you passed.

9. Find a local pub or bar. Sit down. Take a load off. Have a drink. Repeat. You will start to feel better, I promise. And of course, you can then ask the bartender or friendly local next to you for some help.

10. Stay lost. You’re in a city for god sake. How lost can you really be?

One of the best things about travel is the unexpected and being ‘lost’ is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, in most cases, it turns out to be a fun adventure …like you are a contestant on the Amazing Race, but of course there’s no prize money at the end. Figuring out a new city, its infrastructure, its transportation options, and its layout can sometimes be frustrating, but also quite rewarding once you master it. I always feel like entering a new country presents a new fun challenge and if you can find your way in a place like Hanoi…well, you will probably feel like you can do just about anything.