See the world

And the winner of The Art of Solo Travel Giveaway is…

August 10, 2010

Melanie at So Very Vienna! Congrats! Let’s get in touch about the prize from Indie Travel Media: a copy of Stephanie Lee’s e-book, The Art of Solo Travel.

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Amsterdam = houseboats, hammocks and glitter

June 2, 2010

After 10 days in Amsterdam, I’m now officially ready to announce that I could live there. I liked it that much. I almost never say that about cities I visit (with the exception of Cape Town, South Africa). It’s definitely my favorite European city so far. Why’d I love the city so much? Maybe it’s […]

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When your friends get married in Amsterdam…

May 27, 2010

You know how in your late-20s you get tons of invitations to weddings, so many that you simply have to decline some to maintain a positive bank balance? That’s where I’m at. But one of those recent invites happened to be for a wedding in Amsterdam. No, not Amsterdam, NY, which is right up the […]

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A dozen tips for independent travelers

May 5, 2010

During my backpacking trip through Africa, there were so many moments when I though to myself, I’ve gotta remember this for the next time I travel. Like most independent travelers headed for developing countries (independent = travelers who aren’t with a group and figure out accommodation and other details as they go), I knew to […]

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Six reasons to detour to Burkina Faso

April 26, 2010

Of the seven countries I visited during my backpacking trip, Burkina Faso was one of my favorites. It’s sandwiched between two West African countries that are popular with tourists – Mali to the north and Ghana to the south – and yet the French-speaking nation sees few visitors. Here’s why you should add this culture-rich […]

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Traveler's delight: video of Timbuktu, Senegal and more

April 3, 2010

I’m finally getting around to uploading videos from my backpacking trip onto YouTube; I didn’t have a fast-enough Internet connection to do this while I was in Africa. My favorite: getting caught in a sandstorm in Timbuktu. Turn on your sound! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SXg5gJFW70] You can browse the rest of my videos, too: hear a mosque’s call […]

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Can you tell I'm a fashionista?

March 11, 2010

Is it cool that I’m wearing the same clothes in all the travel photos on this site? Yeah, when you backpack solo through Africa you get pretty close with your two red t-shirts.

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Why you should have a bucket list

November 16, 2009

I’ve long wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. Walking the 2,178-mile footpath is on my bucket list — my list of things I want to do in my lifetime (before I kick the bucket). It’s more than a list of my goals — it’s a compilation of my dreams. We often work toward our goals, […]

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More than a run: A lesson from Africa

May 30, 2009

When I ran the Freihofer’s Race for Women six years ago, I had just returned from my first trip to Africa. I had lived with a polygamous family in Cameroon and developed friendships with the four co-wives. The women had inspired me, showing both physical and spiritual strength when they had so little of everything […]

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African inspiration

May 27, 2009

My home office is full of pieces of art from Africa: a beaded wire bowl made in South Africa, a huge raffia sculpture of a baobab tree from Madagascar, a smooth wooden bowl created in Cameroon, and a beautiful poster of homemade Malagasy paper pressed with flowers. But my favorite is a wall-sized colorful batik […]

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