Last updated on December 14, 2018
Stories of culture and social enterprise.
Discover stories focusing on culture, community, and responsible travel. Travel can be a force for good in the world when you travel with purpose and respect. These stories are all about unique ways to connect to cultures and communities, and profiles on amazing people, organizations, and travelers creating social change through travel.
- A Little Insight… What Goes Into a Sustainable Tourism Industry?
- A Little Delight… Stories of Responsible Travel in Hoi An, Vietnam
- A Little Portrait… Stories of Microfinance from the Women of the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico
- A Little Story… How One Maasai Tribe Is Changing the Face of Responsible Tourism
- A Little Story… And the Case for Planning a Trip to Nepal
- A Little Bit… About Grassroots Volunteering
Stories of life on the road.
Traveling the world these years has changed my life. I am a better person because of the lessons I’ve learned, the unique challenges and opportunities that have only come to me through nearly a decade of solo round the world travels. These stories share my fears, confessions, and musings on anything and everything related to a life of travel.
- A Little Adrift… Dispatch from Barcelona: Finding Home
- A Little Reckoning… On Transformative Travel Experiences and 9 Years of Travel
- A Little Choice… or a Big One? Reflections Making Choices & Seven Years of Travel
- A Little Adrift… In Search of Balance
- A Little Musing… Thoughts on Running My First Marathon
- A Little Adrift… 20 Powerful Life Lessons from Solo World Travel
Photoessays from around the world.
We live in such a pretty world. So much beauty to witness from nature, from people. Take a visual tour through cities, cultures, and landscapes with a selection of posts that focus on allowing the photos to tell the stories.
- A Little Photoessay… The Ancient Temples of Bagan, Myanmar
- A Little Photoessay… Two Weeks of Nuance & Culture in Japan
- A Little Story… How One Maasai Tribe Is Changing the Face of Responsible Tourism
- A Little Adventure… Going on an Incredible Safari in Tanzania’s National Parks
- A Little Photoessay… Snapshots & Stories from Colorful, Colonial Mexico
- A Little Photoessay… Slice of Life Snapshots of Mexico
Latest stories and blog posts.
Although the blog was chronological in my early years on the road, now I share stories, advice, tips, and anecdotes that cover thousands of stories, hundreds of new friends, and more than a decade of traveling the world.
Cost of Living in Bali, Indonesia (2021)
Moving to Bali is the stuff of travel dreams. The Indonesian island has a reputation for its gorgeous setting, delicious food, and fascinating Hindu culture. Popular culture has done a wonderful job selling the island’s most idyllic aspects, but there’s a bit more to Bali than simply an island paradise. While many expats have chosen…
A Little Insight… What Goes Into a Sustainable Tourism Industry?
Around the time that I was struggling to hold down my breakfast, hiking at a clipped pace across the wild Kyrgyz countryside and up a mountain, I realized a few things needed to change. Having just finished hiking 500 miles of Spain’s Camino de Santiago a few weeks earlier, I was fit enough for the…
A Little Expat Living… Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand (2021)
Everything I’ve been telling you is true, it’s cheap! I’ve paid rent in both Orlando and Los Angeles, and my Thailand costs have averaged at least one third of my previous living expenses.
Part of why I moved to Chiang Mai was because I had this suspicion that I could maintain a fun and full life,…
A Little Mistiness… How to Hike the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye
Weak sunlight peeped from behind the smoke-gray clouds and I surmised that today, like everyday for the past four days, was another classic Scottish day—damp and cold. Although I had hoped for perfect weather when I tackled one of the most famous hikes on the Trotternish Peninsula, the northeast area of the Isle of Skye, the…
A Little Kiss… Smooching Ireland’s Famous Blarney Stone
Ireland is the most charming country on the planet. Okay, that’s a bold statement, I know. I’ve visited truly incredible countries during my year on the road. And while Laos and Nepal hold particularly special places in my heart, Ireland feels like home. My parents nursed me on stories of the Emerald Isle. Pictures of the O’Donnell…
A Little Review… World Nomads Travel Insurance Explained (Plus Great Alternatives)
When you’re planning for domestic or world travel (either a quick trip or long-term travel), you have a dizzying number of options to review when it comes to picking the best travel insurance. After twelve years on the road, I still like World Nomads travel insurance for backpackers, adventurous travelers, and long-term travelers. My initial…