Sharing Travel Experiences

1,000 Ultimate Experiences

I have been pouring through what I think will be my key coffee table book of inspiration next year:  Lonely Planet’s 1,000 Ultimate Experiences.  I know we all have our own travel bucket lists: some of the public, some of them private, and a jumble of ideas and destinations in between.  Now, I know that STE can sometimes be a dangerous place (oh – I’d like to go there.  Oh, and there too!  Wait, where’s that photo taken? Wow! Sound familiar?) but if you don’t want to be floored by 349 pages of travel-tastic destinations, then I encourage you to stop reading now.

However, if you can’t resist the temptation of 1,000 travel more ideas, then let me tell you a bit more about this guide.

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A Vagabond Story

When Grant Lingel got in touch and asked if I’d read his new book, Imagine: A Vagabond Story, I said sure – why not – by title alone it sounded great, and it was his tales of exploring Central America, an area of the world I don’t know all that well.  If you’re active in the travel sphere, you’ll no doubt know that Grant’s book has gotten rather mediocre reviews.  And I agree with most of them.  So, you might ask, am I logging it here in the STE recommended reading section?  Well, let’s dive deeper, shall we?

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Around the World in Two Laps with Bob Riel

Today’s guest is famed travel author Bob Riel.  As you’ll see below, Bob’s been a busy guy, especially since his book, Two Laps Around the World: Tales and Insights from a Life Sabbatical, has been published.

Here’s the links to get your own copy (dollars on left, pounds on right) – and I suggest you should!  Go ahead and read though and I think you’ll be convinced that Bob’s tales should join you on your next journey.

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Want to Live and Work from Anywhere you Choose?

We’ve been talking a little bit about location independent living lately – our most recently location was Phuket and we’ve got more great places to live and work coming up.

As I mentioned recently, Lea over at Location Independent has a ton of fantastic resources if you’re considering a location independent career/business.  If this is in your life plan and you’re scared, want help, or want some further reading to help you decide if it is the right thing for you, I highly suggest you check out X Marks the Spot:  The Indispensable Guide To Living & Working From Anywhere You Choose.

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Weird Europe: Bizarre, Strange, and Creepy Places

For some who is an avid reader, most of my favourite books tend to have a history of some sort – where I found them or who recommended them, etc. But one such item on my bookshelf has been there for years and I’ve not got a clue where it came from: Weird Europe. For those of you who’ve spent any length of time here (or for god’s sake if you actually live here), you’ll know the place is crawling with unusual stuff, some of it medieval and some of it modern, believe it or not. And the creepiest thing is that I’ve got this book and I don’t know where it came from. Weird, eh?

It is a brilliant book though, and I take it with me on any European jaunt – or if I’m tight on space I at least write down some of its peculiar suggestions to spice up my excursion. It has a 1-to-5 star rating for each “attraction,” and even has a handy symbol system so you can quickly find things that might appeal. Such as the skull to indicate “cemeteries, ossuaries, and corpses.” Or how about the handy unicorn which means “extraordinary exhibits and collections.” There are strange topiaries, unusual architecture, bizarre festivals, outrageous artworks, abandoned spots…they’ve got it all covered!

Let’s just say that if you think you’ve seen it all in Europe, you’ve not seen nothing yet. Here are some of the weird and wonderful places Weird Europe has taken me over the years.

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Busting Out Your Someday Travel Dreams

Are you:

• busy with work and can’t find the time to take a holiday?
• afraid of getting out of that armchair and seeing the world?
• need some guidance for getting out there and getting inspired?

Do you want something better for yourself?

Getting Help

We spend a lot of time here sharing experiences and talking with various folk about really inspiring things and places. But are you really taking it all on board?

If you find yourself stuck traveling from your armchair instead of getting on that plane and really exploring the world then I’d like to give you a heartfelt recommendation. My own personal coach, Alex Fayle, has launched a new eBook called Someday My Ship Will Come In, a fantastic guide that will help you along your own personal journey. In the guide you’ll learn to:

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Life Imitates Art: Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged

For my latest trip to Cambodia and Hong Kong, I was looking through my bookshelf for some reading materials to take with me – there’s nothing better than spending that long flight catching up on books and watching a good movie or two.

My eyes fell upon the art deco-like cover of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged on the bottom shelf.

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Step Back from the Baggage Claim

While browsing the ‘web, I ran across this interesting video about a book with just an interesting name. It’s funny as I usually find books and then stumble across the video afterwards. I really like what Jason has to say. The ‘blurb’ for his book states:

Barger spent 7 straight days flying over 6000 miles to 7 different cities, without leaving the airport the entire time. His observations, reflections, and inspirational stories became the book recently featured in the NY Times. Help change the world by putting loving and grateful vibrations into motion in the world!

Interested? Well, first off check out the video:

Still interested? Step two is to get the book! Mine’s on order. You can get it from Amazon.com (left) or Amazon.co.uk (right):

Ok, did that? Now check out the website Step Back from the Baggage Claim.

Have you read this book? Curious what you thought.

Tour France with Julia Child

One of my favourite books from last year was a little number by Alex Prud’homme about the trials and tribulations of Julia Child in France. Titled My Life in France, Alex’s poignant memoir is a wonderful trip down memory lane and would inspire even the worst cooks to pack their backs and head to France. I had a few questions for Alex and he was kind enough to give us a fresh perspective on both Julia and the book:

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Pour a Glass of Vino with Nat

For some time now I’ve been friends with Natalie Maclean, whom I dare say is the world’s most fantastic and down to earth wine drinker and writer. Her website, Nat Decants is a fabulous array of resources for both the serious wine professional as well as those just looking to get their feet wet (although I hope not literally). Nat’s book, Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass is a best seller and for good reason. After her most recent holiday, I caught up with Nat to talk about her worldwide exploration for another great glass of wine.

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