I’m an optimist. I hardly ever think of buying travel insurance before an adventure. It’s expensive and chances are I won’t even need it. I would much rather invest in new travel gear than drop a few hundred dollars on insurance. But then I look back. Back to those times when some insurance could have saved me a great deal […]
10 Paradoxes From Around The World
The more you travel, the more you begin to notice the paradoxes, ironies, and injustices that characterize the world. While some are comical, others are disturbing. If more widely known, they would surely inspire change. After 8 years of backpacking and over 60 countries, below are just a few of the paradoxes I’ve noticed. 1) […]
The Best Part About Being The Runaway Guide
I’m really lucky to be doing what I’m doing. I get to travel the world and write about all the crazy adventures I have. But by far the most rewarding part about being The Runaway Guide is not drinking massive amounts of sugarcane juice or surfing down volcanoes but rather the ability to inspire people […]
Big News: Summer In Sweden!
I am writing to you now from train 58. A Stockholm bound train that has just departed from Kongsvinger, Norway. Through the flat screen window on my left, a typical Scandinavian summer scene soars by. A wide river helps us carve a path through the dense spruce and pine forests that seem to cover every […]
The Best Country to Survive the Apocalypse
With a week to go until the end of the world, there are a lot of Brooklyn hipsters frantically running around buying alcohol, Red Bull, and cocaine for their big doomsday parties. There are also a lot of people who are seriously worried that the Mayans, a people who used to rip the hearts out […]
How Turkish Hospitality Saved My Life
I had always head references to Turkish hospitality in books and in movies. But I had always just thought it was a tourism slogan that caught on. However it wasn’t until I visited Turkey as a 16 year old runaway did I realize the truth of this expression. While it’s true that most people just […]
What Really Is Deja Vu?
We have all experienced Deja Vu. Those times when you’re on the pot and you turn your head just so and you are suddenly hit with an overwhelming feeling as though you’ve done it before. Ok, admittedly that wasn’t a very good example, but when I get Deja Vu, it often happens on the porcelain […]
O The People You Meet
Meeting new people inspires me to travel and I love meeting them all. Everyone you meet, if only a little, teaches you a lesson. The wise emanate confidence, they are always good listeners and help one grow. They are examples to strive towards. The foolish are always good for a laugh and a good time, […]
Travel Advice from a Russian Backpacker
A few months ago, when I was back in Cairo, I met one of the funniest Russian backpackers I have ever met. Before any introductions, he went right into a ridiculous yet hilarious anecdote about how he peed on a taxi driver for trying to rip him off. The entire time I hung out with him, he […]
A Week in Singapore
Located only a few degrees north of the equator, this island city state is warm and so are its people. A cultural melange of Indian, Chinese, Malay, and Western, everyone here is a foreigner here and so its hard to feel out of place. This blend of peoples, particularly Indian and Chinese work ethic and ingenuity, coupled […]
Escaping Ethiopia
The kids of Ethiopia are some of the coolest most wonderful little balls of radiant energy I have ever encountered. However, when they form into a small mob they can become overwhelming and even somewhat frightening. As was the case when I meandered past a school at recess and was attacked by thousands of school children!! […]
World Dance Off: Eritrea vs. Japan/USA
Having two parents as former Broadway dancers gave me an appreciation of the arts from an early age. In the result, today, I have an intense passion for music and dance. Wherever I go, whether it be Japan or Sudan, I always try and seek out that countries music and dance scenes. I do this […]
