Posted: 5/9/26 | May 9th, 2016 Last year, after my friend Scott passed away, I decided it was time to stop trying to plan a big multi-month trip and just do it.......
Posted: 01/07/2013 “Africa will change you,” people said to me, “There’s something about it that affects us all.” Well, Africa didn’t change me. I’m still the s......
Last Updated: 1/13/2020 Ten years ago, I embarked on a trip that would change my life. It was 2004, and I was trying to convince a friend to visit the Galápagos......
Posted: 04/18/2011 I’ve thought about this post for some time now. In my head, I’ve written and rewritten it hundreds of times to find the right words I’ve gone......
The travel slump. It happens to us all. After months on the road, you wake up one day and feel a little off. Travel doesn’t seem as exciting as it used to be. Y......
I picture my addiction meeting to go something like this: “Hello, my name is Matt and it’s been 50 days since I last traveled somewhere. Every day gets a little......
Let’s face it: not everyone is going to be able to travel. Whether it’s money, family obligations, or circumstance, travel is out of reach for a large percentag......
Posted: 07/05/2012 “Isn’t your life a vacation?” people asked me before my cruise. “You’re always traveling!” Yes, I’m always traveling, but it’s not a vacation......
Posted: 07/16/2012 So what does this nomadic backpacker think of the cruise he went on? IT WAS AWESOME. It was so enjoyable that when it came time to head home,......
Originally Posted: 11/5th/2009 | November 5th, 2009 Last year, I wrote an article about why Americans don’t travel overseas. It still ranks as my most popular p......
Posted: 06/14/2012 | June 14th, 2012 A lot of people hate cruises. “Oversized boats filled with oversized people.” There’s a particular disdain for them among b......
There always seems to be something bad in the news. If it bleeds, it leads right? Even if it doesn’t bleed, it is still there. And all that bad news seems to da......
I often get asked why I want to leave home and travel. Won’t I miss everyone and everything? Won’t I get lonely? What am I running away from? We all have our re......
Posted: 03/26/2020 As many of you know, I have the coronavirus. Well, had. I’ve recovered. Luckily, I had a mild case. It felt like a really bad cold. At first,......
After months on the road, you’re finally home, excited to resume your old friendships. You plan dinners, get-togethers, and nights out. And, as people fail to r......
Originally Posted: 1/12/10 Last month, I was traveling Greece with a friend. My friend is sort of a travel newbie. While not her first time in Europe, it was he......
One of my favorite parts about traveling is the ability to meet a diverse range of people. In hostels, on tours, on buses, sitting at cafés, or at bars, when yo......
I sat down to write about my travel regrets and realized I only have one: I never studied abroad when I was in college. Studying abroad is an annual ritual for......
Posted: 6/15/2022 As I scrolled through my social feeds recently, I noticed, set against desert backgrounds, a number travel “influencers” extolling the beauty......
I was talking to a friend recently about life — and the road it leads us on. I was pushing her to travel the world (like I push everyone to travel the world) to......
Updated: 03/25/19 | March 25th, 2019 I was having drinks with a well-known travel writer and like two soldiers discussing battle wounds from the same war, we ta......
Posted: 03/31/2020 On a breezy fall morning, I was walking home from my university’s humanities department after trying to get out of my Spanish language requir......
When I meet people and tell them about what I do or how long I have been traveling, their response is usually something like, “Wow! That is so awesome! You’re s......
When I first started traveling, my dad used to ask what I’m running away from with my travels. Another time, a commenter told me to stop running away from my pr......
Posted: 04/29/14 There are downsides to long-term travel. The five-hour friends. The quick relationships. The solitude that leads to loneliness. Contrary to wha......
Originally Posted: 11/29/2012 I woke up in a haze. “Why is my iPhone screen cracked? Did I break it while I was sleeping?” Half awake, I looked closer. No, not......
Who am I besides just a guy who loves to travel? What do I do when I’m not on the road? What are my interests? Do I have hobbies? Since I’m more than just a wri......
I was recently gifted the sci-fi thriller Dark Matter. Without giving too much away, the book revolves around the idea of a multiverse, where every possible out......
Posted: 06/13/2011 Despite my low-budget hostel travels, it’s been a long time since I’ve really felt like a backpacker. Sure, I travel like one (most of the ti......
Posted: 10/08/2019 There is no denying that Airbnb has changed how we travel. It got people out of the hotel/hostel quandary, gave locals a way to monetize thei......
Originally Posted: 11/3/2010 One of the things travel forces you to confront your judgments and perception of people. Last year, I came across some bohemian art......