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Shannon O’Donnell here, I’m the chief (and only) traveler and storyteller here on A Little Adrift. I’ve circumnavigated the globe a few times now, and my perpetual travels started in the fall of 2008 when I set off  on a full-year traditional round the world trip.

Once that year ended, I was hooked and I decided to take my future travels at a much slower pace and with Shannon-style travel. That means I travel slowly, stopping in the places that interest me, seeking out new perspectives and finding intriguing new tid-bits of knowledge and culture. There is a thread of human story uniting us all and I’m following that thread to the end.

At this point you might be wondering how I fund so many years of travel?
It’s my priority. Above nearly all else I have valued travel and prioritized this in my life. That being said, I also work online and make a living remotely – that keeps my travel fund continually topped up.

What can I expect from A Little Adrift?

This blog started as a way to chronicle my personal round the world travels, and while it does still function like this I craft stories to inspire the arm-chair travelers out there, lend advice and inspiration for others setting off on RTW trips, and occasionally share resources and thoughts on location independence.

My complete background page covers my motivations for traveling solo around the world – the short version: I grew up in a sleepy town in Florida, moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career after University, and then hit the road with my online SEO job in late 2008 with plans to spend a next few years traveling around the world.

I’m an environmentally conscious recycler and share tips about greenifying your own travels. As a long-time vegetarian that has presented it’s own issues in meat-tastic cultures but it’s means there’s rarely a dull moment on the road.

I know what it’s like to be at a cross-roads in your mid-twenties; in the months leading up to my RTW trip I was unnerved by the lack of clear direction my life was taking and turned to the blogs and personal journeys on the internet to inspire my own lifestyle change.

More than anything over the past several years I’ve learned this important lesson: There is no one, right way to do anything; find something you’re passionate about and do whatever it takes to make that work for you.

On this site you’ll find slices what I find important in the world:

• I volunteer as I travel – mostly teaching English, giving attention to children, lending a pair of hands when needed, and sharing my knowledge and computer skills.
• I care about the environment, support socially responsible and sustainable travel and have been wowed by my changes in perspective and understanding once I left the borders of the USA.
• I love my location independent lifestyle and anyone who wants to travel should have the tools and resources to do so.

Have questions for me? Need travel tips, advice, or support? Wondering how to volunteer as you travel? Please never hesitate to drop me an email – I respond to every single email.

Start Exploring the Travel Stories from Around the World!

Nitty-gritties on my RTW travel route and an overview of my year-long round the world trip.

My “Best of A Little Adrift” page highlights the most useful and inspiring stories.

Navigate through stories from each individual country on the right sidebar or by year in my travel archives.

Wondering about that first photo? Check out India’s Holi: Festival of Colors.

Let’s Connect Even More!

Subscribe to my RSS for round the world travel stories delivered right to your feed reader or inbox, your choice!

Connect on Facebook for travel resources, photos from around the world and if you’re interested in my more off-the-cuff travel observations!

Still Reading?!

Perhaps you’re wondering a bit of my whimsical philosophy on life then?

That’s all I have for you on this page folks – why not check out out my “Best of A Little Adrift Travel” page, it contains all of my favorite travel stories and tips!