A friend just turned me onto a fabulous new resource that if you’re into traveling and photography you’ll want to know about…
Photography for Travellers is a new website that helps people to get more from their photos. It’s not a technical site for geeks, but a rich source of philosophies and useful tips on how to take better photos when you travel.
by Ewen BellOffering information and inspiration about the world of photography outside the studio, PhotographyforTravellers.com is a fabulous free resource where photography and travel enthusiasts can learn more about taking great pictures.
It’s about getting real with the camera - no models and lights, just real life and lots of advice on how to capture the emotion of your journeys on digital film.
Ideas we can all use to bring home photos that reveal the true spirit of the places we visit.
Developed by travel journalist Ewen Bell (named 2007 Travel Photographer of the Year by the Australian Society of Travel Writers), Photography for Travellers has great, easy-to-follow advice, and anyone can take something away to improve as a photographer.
Check it out at www.PhotographyforTravellers.com and let me know what you think using the comment link below.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Check out this Canadian twist on city-slicker couples therapy…
Kick-start your relationship with a weekend at Elkin Creek Guest Ranch Couples Bootcamp (September 24 - 27, 2009), cowboy certified to help couples reconnect and ride off into the romantic sunset.
Designed to rekindle romance, encourage teamwork and add in a taste of unexpected adventure, the Couples Bootcamp promises to whip any hum-drum relationship back into shape. The 3-night package is priced at $675.00 USD (based on a 1.22 exchange rate) per person and includes three nights of luxurious accommodation, gourmet meals, and the Elkin Creek Guest Ranch’s complete Couples Bootcamp program and activities.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
RELAX, REJUVENATE, DANCE…
Forget about your busy and hectic life for one week in sunny Oaxaca, Mexico from January 10-17, 2009 for a relaxing and rejuvenating Salsa dance and yoga retreat.
Regardless if you are new to yoga or have practiced for many years, enjoy our yoga classes lead by yoga instructor extraordinaire, dancer and aerial artist Jennifer Hill. Experience the surge of inner peace, love, and energy that results from connecting with yourself during your yoga practice, dancing will become the perfect way to connect with others. Whether you are an experienced Salsa dancer or simply want to try something new - you can take advantage of this exclusive opportunity to learn from the experienced instructors and well-known performers from Academia Tumbao.
Escape from the dullness of winter with an energizing vacation that offers an in-depth cultural experience, a physical workout that will bring a smile to your face, and some well-deserved time to relax.
Information:
Web: www.salsaretreat.com; info@salsaretreat.com; Phone: 206.234.3720; Fax: 866.613.8979
NOTE: THE AIRFARES TO OAXACA HAVE DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY RECENTLY. CALL OR EMAIL TODAY TO CHECK AVAILABILITY.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Every successful person has an insatiable thirst for challenge. Much more than just a motivation, it’s who they are. They satisfy that thirst in boardrooms and at negotiating tables, in backcountry ski bowls, on fairways and in personal goals. The more adventurous even take it a step further, spending their free time challenging themselves by taking it up a notch in the grand and awe-filled theater of nature. On their behalf, the legendary travel company Abercrombie & Kent has created an entirely new portfolio of 15 Extreme Adventures.
Forget your preconceptions of “adventure travel.” These expeditions blow the lid off the box by combining the most spectacular regions, the finest wilderness guides and A&K’s trademark mix of privileged access, air-tight organization and outstanding service. The result is nothing short of extraordinary: a collection of expeditions in the true Amundsen, Hillary, Shackleton and Burton sense of the word, all guaranteed to take you to the outer boundary of experience and, in the process, to the edge of yourself.
It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
…Edmund Hillary
Shut your eyes just for a moment and imagine the taiga forest in Northern Norway, the silence broken only by the scrape of the runners as you lean your sled into the turns, guiding your team of five dogs as they bound and bark their way through a world still with snow. Feel your heart race as you click your harness closed and settle back in the cockpit of a fighter jet, bracing for the G-forces from a vertical climb to 60,000 feet. Imagine standing on a glacier hundreds of miles from the nearest road, surrounded by a colony of 15,000 Emperor penguins. Consider the look on your son’s face as you turn the safari clock back a hundred years, walking along, and floating down, Tanzania’s wild Rufigi River.
“How many things have you done that you know, with absolute certainty, you will remember for the rest of your life? In the end, that’s what these experiences are all about,” says Peter Boese, vice president of Extreme Adventures, “providing the kind of memories that change the way you think about the world.”
“We each interpret ‘challenge’ in different ways,” Boese continues. “Test your mettle against the implacable forces of nature in the mountains or the desert, harness the raw power of thoroughbred machines and open the door to the most awe-inspiring places on Earth.”
The first of these extraordinary new adventures will begin in the fall 2008, starting with an Extreme Safari on foot in the Selous, Africa’s largest protected wilderness and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Challenge yourself with Mountain Trekking to Everest Base Camp or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia on Desert Expeditions in Egypt and Jordan. Satisfy your need for speed in South Africa with Man & Machine Extreme. Meet nature at its most challenging by Conquering the Final Degree and skiing to the South Pole.
Abercrombie & Kent guides are experienced, educated and supremely qualified. Their first priority is your safety. They have mastered the necessary bush and survival skills, and know how to keep you motivated in tough conditions to bring out your best.
With Extreme Adventures, Abercrombie & Kent comes full circle. Its pioneering tented safaris were born from an insatiable desire to experience the world in ways that few dare, to consistently deliver journeys that defy all expectations. When you find yourself at the ends of the earth, you want exceptional experience, knowledge, skills, support and reputation at your back.
For details on these trips and the specific challenges offered, go to www.akextremeadventures.com.
About Abercrombie & Kent (A&K):
Born as a safari outfitter in 1962, A&K’s unparalleled travel services now extend around the globe to more than one hundred countries on all seven continents. The company built its award-winning reputation by being the first to bring unexpected comforts and amenities to remote destinations. Small group or tailor made private travel with A&K combines the convenience, service and security of a U.S.-based company with support 24/7 from a network of 50 on-site offices that ensure “by invitation only” access to inspiring experiences in A&K’s personalized, low-profile and intelligent style. www.abercrombiekent.com
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Asia Transpacific Journeys Launches Lifelong Learning Journeys
Luxury Travel to Asia Enhanced by Hands-on Immersion, Educational Focus
Asia Transpacific Journeys announces a new Lifelong Learning Journeys series in which trips feature hands-on immersion in a specific theme through classes, discussion and participation with a guest tour leader who is an expert in the field.
For example, their new 17-day Cultures of Buddhist Asia is a sweeping examination of the three major schools of Buddhism practiced in Japan, Laos and Bhutan respectively. The journey will be led by a Buddhism expert from Naropa University, the premier Buddhist studies university in America. Meetings with monks, scholars and optional guidance in meditation will be featured.
These journeys delve deep into a specific theme, with the world as your classroom, says Marilyn Downing Staff, President and founder of Asia Transpacific Journeys, an Asia travel company specializing in the region for 21 years. They are crafted in the spirit of discovery and appreciation, for the lifelong learner who delights in knowledge, not just for those with a background in the subject.
Lifelong Learning Journeys feature:
- A unique theme that acts as a focus for each trip
- A guest tour leader who is an expert in that field
- Hands-on immersion through classes, demonstrations, discussion, participation
- Fellow travelers with a similar passion for subject
- No need to have a background in the subject to join
The Cultures of Buddhist Asia is a Small Group Trip departing November 15, 2008. The per person, double, rate is $10,395 for land costs that includes upscale accommodations, nearly all meals, transfers, visa fees, tips, entrance fees, emergency and medical evacuation insurance, and a comprehensive pre-departure packet.
About Asia Transpacific Journeys
Asia Transpacific Journeys is an award-winning, Boulder, Colorado-based Asia travel company and Asia tour operator specializing in Custom Journeys and Small Group Trips for Asia vacation travel since 1987. Outstanding service, long-standing connections in Asia and deeply insightful cultural interpretation make them the operator of choice for discerning individuals, their families and friends. Asia Transpacific Journeys is the recipient of three Top Travel Specialists awards for 2007 from Condé Nast Traveler magazine. In November 2007 Asia Transpacific Journeys was also honored as a Worlds Best Tour Operator by National Geographic Adventure. For more information, visit http://www.asiatranspacific.com or call 800 642 2742.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
One of the best aspects of my life as a freelancer is the freedom it provides. I can (and do!) work from anywhere in the world. Have laptop, will travel…
But you don’t need to be a writer to escape the confines of your location. If you’ve ever wanted to be free of the office and do your work from anywhere in the world this Zen Habits article offers 10 great tips for making the dream a reality and becoming a “Location-Independent Professional” (click the link below for the full article):
1. Dare to dream. The thing that holds most people back is that they don’t allow themselves to dream. Sure, it might be a passing fantasy, but they don’t give their dreams a serious thought. But what’s to stop you? Money? Fear? Overcome those measly little obstacles and allow yourself to dream.
2. Discover your passion. Many times, it’s not enough to just do a job from wherever you please — it’s best if it’s a job you love to do. I’ve written about this before (Finding Your Passion the 10th habit in Zen To Done), but I think many of us get stuck in a job just because it’s what we’ve been doing … without thinking about whether it’s something we love to do. This year, I’ve discovered I’m passionate about blogging, about writing, and I’m working to turn this passion into the way I make my living.
3. Do your research. Read about how others have achieved this dream, what steps they took to get there, and what their lives are like now. A great source is Lea Woodward’s new e-book, “X Marks the Spot“. It’s a great read, full of information on how to achieve this independence, written by someone who is actually living the dream. I highly recommend it. Buy it here.
4. Explore your options. What are the various routes available to you to get to your dream? Keep your mind open to opportunities, to new ways of doing things you’re good at doing, or that you love doing. Think about ways to add income streams into your life, instead of relying on a single income stream. Look at ideas that others are implementing successfully, and see if those are good options for you. In the early stages, it can be useful to look into many more options than you’re actually going to choose in the end … and even give a few of them a try to see if they might work for you. See these blogs, to start with, for ideas: Location Independent, Rat Race Escape Artist, and Escape from Cubicle Nation.
5. Lay out a plan. Once you’ve begun exploring your options, you can start laying out a roadmap to get to your dream. Now, understand that this roadmap will change as you go along — think of it as a living document rather than anything set in stone. You’re exploring new territory … it only makes sense that you’ll discover new things, learn as you go, change your mind about some things, and find new options you didn’t even know existed. But the key is to write your plan down … so you have a guide to keep you on track.
6. Consider a gradual transition. J.D. Roth from Get Rich Slowly (he’s one of my biggest inspirations for becoming a blogger by the way) did an awesome post about taking the plunge and pursuing his dream. While the entire post was great, one of the things I loved about his plan is the gradual transition. J.D. isn’t just quitting his day job all at once. He’s weaning himself from the job one day at a time, over the course of a year. This gives him the chance to adjust to all the changes of quitting his job. While you’re considering your options, you might consider this one.
7. Take action. It’s all well and good to make a plan, and to allow yourself to dream, and to consider options and all that — these are necessary steps — but the best-laid plans sitting on a shelf don’t do us much good. You gotta take action. Today. Don’t put it off until next month or next year … do something today to get yourself closer to reality. Then tomorrow, do another thing. One step at a time, you’ll get the ball rolling, and you’ll get there eventually. But without that first step, you’ll get nowhere.
8. Reduce your needs. This isn’t a necessary step, but it’s a good option to consider. Lea Woodward, in the above-mentioned e-book “X Marks the Spot“, says that while she and her husband did reduce expenses, they tried to avoid a “scarcity mentality” … which I think is an interesting idea. But the truth is, if you don’t have as many expenses, you don’t need as much of an income … and that means that your dream is much easier to implement. My favorite book on this is Your Money or Your Life, one of the most amazing personal-finance and life-changing books you can read. YMOYL shows us how each purchase and each expense represents a cost to us in terms of our life … we must work a certain number of hours for everything we buy and spend on. That’s something worth thinking about … are you willing to work extra hours for the things you buy and spend your money on, or would you rather use those hours doing other things?
9. Simplify your work. This, of course, is one of the great themes of Zen Habits (to start with: one, two, three, four, five, six) … but it is especially relevant here. If you want to work on your own, and liberate yourself from the office, you’d be wise to simplify what you do. Eliminate the non-essential tasks, streamline your workflow, focus on the tasks and project and clients with the absolute biggest potential and long-term benefits.
10. Outsource and automate. One of my biggest sources of inspiration, Tim Ferriss’ excellent book The 4-Hour work Week, gives you some great tips on how to eliminate the non-essential and focus on what matters most. But some of the most interesting parts of the book are the sections on outsourcing your life and automating your business. Those parts alone could have been a separate book. They’re not something that everyone will want to implement, but they’re most definitely interesting options that can help many people achieve their dreams.
Click here to read the full article online at Zen Habits
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".