Of all of the newsletters I’ve subscribed to, yours is my favorite.  How do you do it?

I’ve found your Income Reports very helpful.  A sizable amount comes from iPhone applications.  Please share a bit more about that.

One of your keys to success has been multiple income streams.  What tips do you have for the readers who want to grow this area in their business?

How do you manage your time between sites, products, and building applications?

If you don’t believe it can happen, it never will.

Be in touch with Pat!

if you can’t see this video, click here

The Difference Between What We are Told and Reality

I really love this video and recording of Alan Watts because it so quickly encapsulates all of the emotions I’ve struggled with throughout my life.  We go into life not knowing any better, so we do what we’re told.  We continue along this path and at some point wake up to the reality that

a) our lives are relatively boring and mediocre

b) all of the people we’ve followed on this path aren’t especially happy or fulfilled and

c) this is not our path

((in comes panic, questioning the meaning of life, feeling genuinely ripped off, confused, and directionless))

Maybe you’ve felt this disenchantment in your life?

Personally, I’ve become disenchanted with the whole ‘game’ of being endlessly strung along for little reward.  The comfort isn’t really worth the reward in most situations, and continually trying to reach the next dangling carrot becomes less and less rewarding.

What’s Next?  What Can We Do?

Obviously, we’re still here, so we have to do something, RIGHT?

So what do we do when we become disenchanted with the ‘game of life’?

In my opinion, we rewrite it. Just like this video says, we’ve forgotten what life’s all about.  We’ve forgotten to be the composer of our own life story.  We’ve forgotten to enjoy life, and we’ve forgotten to dance.

Rewriting the Song of your Life

Now imagine if your life was a song, and you were to begin writing the song of your life.  You would consider it a thing of beauty, a joy to create, and a gift to share with others.

How might your life be different if you were to change your focus?

What if getting things done faster wasn’t the goal?

What if you could enjoy the process?

How much better would your song be?

As always, bringing you inspiring stories of adventurous folks that have dared to do different.  Many of you may have wondered if you could take your business online and do good for others.  Kirsty’s living the dream of helping others while her business pretty much runs itself.  Check out her story, and amazing resources below.

When you first thought about volunteering, what were your initial hesitations?

I had looked into volunteering long before I ever did it and the main thing stopping me at that time was the cost. Everything I found online seemed to cost loads of money which put me off of the idea completely. Once I found Hands On Disaster Response (http://www.hodr.org) (a free-to-volunteer NGO) and committed to volunteering with them in Bangladesh, I remember my main concern was whether the other volunteers would all be do-gooder types. It seems strange but my only real concern was being stuck in Bangladesh with a bunch of people who were no fun!

How did that change after experiencing it first-hand?

As it turns out, most of the people I’ve met through volunteering have been just a little crazy and a blast to be around. The people I’ve met have been some of the hardest working, most talented, intelligent and creative people I’ve known. They come from all over the world, have a wide array of backgrounds and skills, and have ranged in age from 18 to 78. The thing everyone has in common is a passion for what they’re doing and it makes getting along with everyone very easy. Some of the strongest friendships I have now have come through volunteering.

What unique experiences have you had volunteering that you otherwise wouldn’t have had just traveling?

I’ve been invited into many people’s homes in places way off the tourist trail in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Haiti and met and mingled with locals on a level that I’m not sure a tourist passing through could. I’ve been taken to a vodou ceremony with a Haitian friend of mine, stood on the sidelines at a football match in Haiti, been invited to weddings and funerals, had countless locals bring me snacks, tea and full meals on our breaks, and been welcomed into their communities with ceremonies and parties.

I’m sure any traveler who puts in an effort could encounter experiences like these but those travellers are rare these days with most opting to stick to the usual backpacker trail. Volunteering makes it easy to have these sort of experiences almost every day.

As a volunteer you’re also doing good work and seeing a local person thanking you for your help with tears in their eyes isn’t something you’re likely to see as a traveler.

How do you cover your expenses during your time volunteering abroad (flights, accommodation, food, travel)?

Most of the longer-term volunteering I’ve done has been with HODR who cover food and accommodation costs. HODR do disaster relief work which makes predicting their next destination impossible. I’ve been following them around for four projects from Bangladesh to Haiti, from Haiti to Indonesia and then back to Haiti after the recent earthquake. The airfares are my biggest expense but, once I get to the project, I don’t spend much at all.

I cover the cost of my flights and other expenses with money I earn online. I run a bunch of websites and get money from advertising, paid clicks and affiliate sales. When I’m volunteering and not spending much money I’m able to build my bank account back up before draining it again on another flight!

What types of projects have worked on?

I’ve done all sorts of things from teaching english to building schools to running wheelbarrows. The type of work we do depends on the type of disaster. In Bangladesh we built houses and playgrounds after a cyclone. In Haiti the first time the bulk of the work was shoveling mud out of people’s homes after four hurricanes struck at once, filling the city of Gonaives with mud. In Indonesia and Haiti this time, we cleared destroyed houses from people’s foundations so they could have their space back to put a shelter.

I’ve also painted a school, built wells, learned how to work with concrete, helped frame houses, taken photos, helped set up HODR with affiliate programs, put tin onto a roof, installed wooden signboards, and on and on. The work is generally really physical day in, day out but there are usually other things to get up to besides shoveling and wheelbarrowing and the things I’ve done only touch on the many possibilities.

How has volunteering helped you?

I’ve gotten so much out of my time as a volunteer that it sometimes feels like I get more than I can give. I’ve learned new skills, met people from all over the world, been able to practice new languages, gotten fit, had my mind opened through amazing conversations and, I hope, become a more well-rounded person in the process.

How have you made money online while traveling abroad?

I started a travel website (http://www.travoholic.com) way back in 2001 when few people were making money online. I worked at it on and off as a hobby for years and in 2005 I discovered Google Adsense (basically ads that I can put on my site that pay a certain amount per click). I realized then the potential for earning online and started a few more sites. I’ve currently got around 10 websites that make money through Adsense, affiliate sales (selling travel insurance, car rentals etc.) or through advertising.

The business pretty much runs itself which leave me with a lot of time to fill with traveling or doing volunteer work. I try to work on the road but the reality is that it’s pretty tough with dodgy net connections and a lot of distractions. When I’m in the mood to get a good amount of work done, I will stop in a city I like, rent an apartment, and work hard for a while. When I want to volunteer or travel, I will do that and spend only a small amount of time maintaining my sites.

If people are interested in volunteering abroad, what resources would you recommend?

Funny you should ask! I wrote an ebook called ‘The Underground Guide to International Volunteering’ that can be downloaded from my website (http://www.nerdynomad.com/volunteering). It’s a guide for people who want to volunteer but aren’t sure how to go about it. I talk about whether or not volunteering is for you, who would make a good volunteer, paying to volunteer, how to find free and cheap volunteering opportunities, give some practical advice and I also have a list of volunteering opportunities that have been tried and tested.

The ebook costs $14 with $7 of every sale being donated to HODR, a cause that is obviously very close to me and one I believe in a lot. If you’ve been thinking about volunteering and aren’t sure where to start, this ebook will help you.

((Author’s note:  I’ve had the pleasure of reading this eBook and would Highly Recommend it.  It is full of great information, links, and inspiring photos.  Click on the photo to see more.))

Got Questions for Kirsty?  Ask them in the comments section!!  Had a cool volunteering experience?  Share it Below.

Read the carnival posts, and then check out some more Location – Lifestyle – Nomadic posts below.  These are posts that I really enjoyed this month, and that others liked too.  Make sure you submit your posts for next month’s carnival by clicking here.  Read on, and enjoy your life, business, and travels!

Blog Carnival Submissions:

Simplicity is All About Abundance – Meditations on an Ugli Fruit

Carmen Bolanos from NuNomad explores the theory of abundance in our lives.  Are we missing what’s right in front of us because we are looking for something else?  Read this for insights on seeing the abundance that is in your life.

An Encounter With Cross-Country Vagabond Sean Robinson

Sometimes we happen upon people just when we need to.  Emily Gerson from Maiden Voyage had the opportunity to interview Sean Robinson who’s living the life of his dreams in a totally different way.  Check out her account of his adventures in this interview.

Introducing: State Lines for iPhone

Traveling across the country?  Cherie Ve Ard presents an app that you might find helpful.  Follow their adventures at Tales from Technomadia.

My Favorite Reads This Month:

Should We Really Strive for a 4 Hour Workweek?

Eric from My 4 Hour Workweek explores the concept of aiming for a reduced workweek.  Is this what we really want?  Is this what we should really be working towards?  Read more to find out…

Thoughts on Art-Making & Creating The Life You Want

Brought to us by Cath Duncun from Mine Your Resources.  This is maybe one of the coolest videos I’ve ever seen, paired with an inspirational blog that really gets you to think about putting your creative self out there.

High Points, Low Points, and The Perfect Trip

Chris Guillebeau from The Art of Nonconformity highlights some of the roller-coaster experiences of travel.  Is there such a thing as ‘the perfect trip’?  Read his opinion here.

13 Quotes to Inspire Nomadic & Location Independent Lifestyle

Need some inspiration?  Let’s face it, running a business remotely can be difficult.  Rasheed from Present Day Nomads offers some great thoughts of encouragement.

One Last Thought from a Beach Pillow I was Relaxing On…

Hope you have found these posts as fantastic as I have.  Thoughts?  Comments??  Leave ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!

Coaching by question and brain research

Nitpatanasai gives an overview of David Rock’s book Quiet Leadership:  Help People Think Better–Don’t Tell Them What to Do.

All of my excited buttons went off simultaneously as I googled these gentleman.  Mostly, for two reasons:

1.  Their research and experience proves the questioning methodology of coaching works (and)

2.  The book shows how our brains move  ideas into action–or transformational change.

Throughout my MBA program, I was obsessed with the topic of Transformational Change (and still am!) and this is why I went into the field of Coaching / Consulting.

What is Transformational Change?

One definition is that it “requires altering and expanding the limiting mindset in which the individual (or) the organization operates.”

This is not just changing HOW an Individual does something, or adding a new idea to an existing set of tasks.  We are Literally CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE THINK.  Changing the way they think about their lives, their limitations, and their possibilities.

Here is an example.  Everyone Knows that they Should go to the gym, but most people continue to sit on the couch.  They are tired.  They can justify it.  A nominal change might be that they take a step towards going to the gym.  Maybe they buy workout clothing or shoes, or get a gym membership.

Transformational Change occurs when the person actually changes the way they think about the gym, and then continually and successfully go.  Thinking has changed, therefore, results are achieved.

As a coach, this is what we do.  We help speed up this process.

I really enjoyed reading this article, because it brought up two critical points:

We cannot tell people to come to a new conclusion

They have to come to it themselves.  Inside all of our brains there are essentially road maps.  The roads that exist are experiences or thought patterns that we have had before.  If we want to go to a new destination (read: way of life, new way of thinking, way of living differently), our brain has to create a new road.

When we experience an epiphany or eureka moment… This Is Transformational Change!  Our brains have essentially built a new road.  And, lucky for us, our mindset has changed, meaning our behaviors can change, thereby changing our results.

We CAN lead people to their own conclusions

Telling someone what to do is about as effective as me explaining to you how to get to my house in Krabi, Thailand.  You can’t even picture it, because you’ve never been here.  Changing mindsets is relatively the same thing.  By leading someone to their own conclusions by questioning, people can experience the awareness of putting a new thought into action.

Here’s an overview of Rock’s model:

Rock came up with a four-step model that has visual and audible clues to watch for when we’re trying to help people develop their own insights:

1. Awareness: When we face a problem or dilemma, our face looks a little unhappy or perplexed. Our eyes might squint slightly. We recognize we have a problem, we feel stuck. From a neuroscientific perspective, we have various mental maps in conflict. They have competing values, competing demand for resources, and the brain has not yet worked out how to resolve this conflict by creating a new metamap or by reconfiguring our existing maps.

2. Reflection: Your face changes. Most people look up, or slightly up and across, and have a dazed look on their face. Their forehead might tense up as they think more deeply. Nearly everyone becomes silent for a moment.

3. Illumination: There’s a rush of energy if it’s big idea, like Archimedes’ “eureka” moment.

4. Motivation: People’s eye movements show they are ready for action.

((This process is the most gratifying part of my job… watching the transformational change take place by the look on someone’s face.))

Coaching, in my view, isn’t about coming in and telling someone what to do.  It is about meeting someone where they are at and giving them the skills they need to break through old ideas and limiting behaviors– thereby helping them to pave new roads to unlimited success.

Thoughts?

(Here’s a link to the book if you want to check it out…)

IF

by

Rudyard Kipling

1865 – 1936

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make your dreams your master;

If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings–nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And–Which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

Resenting work

One major personal realization I’ve made lately is around my attitude of work.  My whole life, I’ve repelled the idea of work.  This started at an early age for me.  Growing up with a father as a business owner, I was working full time at age 14.  This was during he summers while everyone else was sitting at the pool talking about boys.  I worked to support myself through high school, and worked and did sports teams in college. 

It seemed like there was always work to be done, and never any time for me! While my dad had all kinds of reasons why this was a good thing for me, I resented it.

I’m sure it was valuable experience, and did get me further, faster, but it also left me feeling quite strange.  Why were all these other kids getting to enjoy life, and have time off, and I was having to work so hard (as a child) to just live???

Looking at it now, I think this left me feeling unloved and like something was wrong with me.  Winning approval from my father was like trying to impress a statue.  No matter what I did or how hard I tried, there was no reaction.  Somehow, in the end, I lumped all of these feelings of inadequacy into  a pretty unhealthy attitude about having to take care of myself.  I had to take care of myself, because nobody else would.

Resenting gender roles

Gender roles can become a confusing issue when taking care of ourselves.  In many families, it is modeled that the male is more of the dominant provider while the woman tends to be more domestic and takes care of the family.  Seeing this modeling growing up, I pretty much expected that at some point there would be a man in my life that would earn more than me and take care of things. (And I, in turn, would take care of him, the house, and domestics.)

I have always resented being a female. I don’t want the traditional life of husband, house, children, but on the flip-side, it seems so difficult to break into the work-world and be taken seriously by men. It seems like males always get the break, the better jobs, and the better salaries.

Even in business, I feel I’ve had to prove myself twice as hard because I am a female.  I would think I’d be going to meet with a new client, and they just wanted to date me. Oftentimes I’ve been cast off as “just a girl” and once was asked by a former boss “Can’t you just sit there and look pretty?!?”

Resisting authority

Ever since I started teaching in Thailand, I’ve had to face massive negative thoughts and resistance.  From my alarm clock, to my boss, to my thoughts in my head, I was pretty much cursing the world until about noon each day. This went on for about the first three months.  Then, from a series of trying to just work through it and stop resisting, I was able to let it go and move past it.  It was surprising and shocking for me to realize that I could be in such a peaceful place for the past five years (not having to deal with an alarm or boss), but the second I put myself in a position of a subordinate, I was completely freaking out!

I think I’ve never really had a “real job” with regular hours or bosses or expectations because it hit all my buttons from working as a kid.

Once something “went wrong” or someone pissed me off, I would quit.  And then it was over. I think because I liked the ‘re-creating my life’ part, I saw the next thing as a new adventure, but still never really landed on anything till I started my business.  It has been a struggle, to say the least, to get it going and running from abroad…  and I am trying to make decisions that will help me stay on here longer.  Teaching is a great way to get a work permit and earn some extra money while I build my business up over the next year.  But it has helped me to realize the importance of accepting authority (rather than avoiding it) and realizing that the resisting it really has only gotten in my own way.

Resisting “what is”

I think I’ve focused most of my life on “Trying to create the perfect situation”.  Recently I was hit with the brick on my head that it NOT All About Creating the Perfect Situation, but it is also about Accepting What Is. Maybe it is about a 50/ 50 split. You can partly create an ideal situation, but no situation is completely ideal.  We all have to learn to just go along with life and handle our emotions as they come up. 

Things are going to be unpredictable, hard, frustrating, annoying, not make sense, and piss you off. I think part of taking care of yourself is learning how to handle yourself in these situations.  By becoming stronger and dealing with difficult situations (rather than avoiding them), you are actually taking better care of yourself. This was a BIG BIG BIG realization for me because it meant I don’t have to keep hopping around the globe re-creating some ideal scenario and then giving up (rather quickly) when it doesn’t “work out”. If I look back, honestly, I’ve been doing that since I was 16.

Life beyond resentment

By no means have I mastered this one yet, but what I’ve found helpful so far is to Observe the Resentment. This has been an effective exercise in helping me to see past the illusions I’m creating, and look deeper at the root cause.  Mostly, I’ve found out that these emotions fade, and I can be more enjoyable and productive if I face my resistance straight on.  When I feel my teeth clenching, my body tensing, and my head on overdrive repeating “I HAVE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE”, I now meet it with a simple question…   Why?

I continue to drill down and nearly every answer results in some sort of anxiety rooted in my childhood work situation.  Maybe I’m crazy sitting there and talking to myself like a maniac, but, honestly, it works. I continue to ask myself why I am feeling (anxious, nervous, trapped, annoyed) and more times than not, I get some form of:  because that’s what I felt as a kid and I hated it.

But why should what I felt as a child get in the way of my success as an adult?

Simply put, If I want to get beyond it, I have got to get over it. Letting go of old hurt and resistance frees up mental space and allows us to grow, so that’s what I’m going to do. I need to get over the resentment, because there is life beyond it.

That said, what are the areas of resistance in your life?

Are you holding on to any resentment that is keeping you stuck?

Thanks for your comments!!

William James

There’s a lot of talk these days about the Law of Attraction.  Many books are out there discussing how to focus your thoughts and get what you want by thinking positive thoughts.  More importantly than just focusing on the stuff that you want, I believe that the quality of our life comes from the quality of our thoughts.  It is as simple as this:  if you spend the bulk of your day having pleasant thoughts, you will have a good day.  On the contrary, if you have miserable thoughts, your day will suck.  We all have moments of getting caught up in the drama of our lives, so here are some quick tips of things I’ve learned to begin to change your thinking.

Observing Your Thoughts

Our minds are like any environment.  The conditions need to be right for good ideas to grow.  Thoughts grow from having an open mind and ‘can do’ attitude.  Try to observe the thoughts you have and notice what patterns come up. If it is too difficult at first to notice your thinking, listen to the words you say about different topics.  Are you closing down to people, experiences, or certain areas of your life?  What areas do you find yourself saying the words “I can’t”?  Get to know the areas of your life that you seem defensive about.  Where are your buttons pushed, and by whom?

Noticing Patterns

Once you have begun to notice your thoughts, the next step is to observe any patterns that go along with them.  Because every action has an equal and opposite reaction, see what you are reacting to.  Patterns of behavior are more predictable than you think.  Take a moment to consider your reactions to the following questions:

When things go “wrong” what do I do?

What people seem to get under my skin?  Why?

What areas of my life seem to always “go wrong”?

Linking Your Thinking to your Feelings

A great indicator of our thinking is our feelings.  If we are feeling frustrated, upset, or just having an off day, it is worth exploring our thought processes.  When we take time to get to know our own emotional reactions, we can learn more about ourselves and where we are staying stuck. Rather than responding to unfavorable situations and escalating the tension, try to remain calm, and explore your emotional reaction later during quiet time.

I recently had a situation where a friend really upset me.  I have been reading three different books about mind training and decided to try to do what they said.  I remained calm, focused on my breathing, and tried to not take it personally.  Later, I spent quite a bit of time going through the scenario in my head.  Rather than asking myself “Why did they say that to me?” I asked myself, “Why am I so reactive to that comment?”

I continued to ask questions and dig deeper until I found the source of the pain.  I realized I was being reactive to a comment because it made me feel devalued.  Because I had a strong reaction to males making me feel this way growing up, I experienced pain.  I spent time working through these older issues and realized what my friend had actually given me was a gift.  I had an opportunity to realize an old pattern, find the root cause, and forgive an old situation I had been holding onto for years!

Many of us have these Reactive Filters.  We react strongly, or overreact to people in situations that remind us of old hurts.  We try to justify our own behavior by lashing out or making the situation worse.  We do have the choice to turn hurtful situations into learning opportunities.  We can sit uncomfortably through moments and find the source later.  We can notice how these reactive behaviors are keeping us stuck and determine to work through them.  Next time you feel you are getting your buttons pushed, look deeper to see where the root of this thought process is coming from, and see if you can reprogram your old pattern.

Reprogramming our Thoughts for Better Results

The less reactive we are, the less drama that surrounds our lives.  When we can go into our own lives and take responsibility for our reactions, we free up space for better patterns.  By reprogramming our thoughts, we improve the quality of our lives.  We learn how to find more enjoyable thoughts to focus on throughout the day.  And, the better our thoughts, the happier our days.

“The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him.  The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.”

-James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

The short of it is that if you decide to work in a country, you can set up and be more productive.  My hope was that by committing to a schedule, I would actually get More work done.

Could it be true?

After four months, I would say Absolutely!  The high-schools here require you to teach about four hours a day.  Because I am now on a routine schedule (after a year of lazing about), I am getting up and getting shit done.

I love the interaction with the kids, have learned far more about the culture, and find myself continually learning from children.

Travel Anywhere…

For their midterm assignment, I decided to give them a trip.  They could go anywhere in the world, bring any amount of money, stay as long as they liked, and study anything while they were there.  The response was amazing. I actually got kids to write paragraphs that had barely been constructing sentences.  But, there were also some ways they used the language that made me laugh or brought tears to my eyes.  It also gave me a whole new appreciation for travel, and I hope these snippets will encourage you too.  I haven’t corrected the English or grammar intentionally, so enjoy!

When given the assignment, Where will you go, How much money will you bring, What will you do, What will you learn… there were some very interesting responses…

I will learn about staying alive.

I will need a lot of money.  I will drink beer every day.

I will enjoy the funny land.

I will learn about culture and experiences that I can’t find in the class.

From the travel, I will have been taught about How do I stay Exciting.

I will go to New Zeland.  I would like to stay with nature and meet sheep.

Oversea can make me have grown up and live in the world with myself.

I will need somewhere for my relaxation.  I would like to touch the wave sound.

The weather will be rainy in July but for me no problem.  This is life.

In The New Year…

Chinese New Year is this weekend.  We put together a wishing tree, full of their wishes, and I wanted to let you know… wherever you are in the world, that YOU are a part of these kid’s wishes.  Here are some below:

I wish that everyone in the world have good health and a perfect life.

I wish everybody good and hope they can have fun.

and from me… I wish that everyone can be HAPPY!

Since it is the New Year, What are Your Travel Plans?  Where will you go?  What will you do?  What do you hope to learn?

You have a very exciting story about turning a seemingly unfortunate event into something positive.  Please share with the readers what got you started on your adventures traveling around the world.

I became a travel writer by accident, literally.  A car ran an intersection and piled into my bike, breaking my kneecap. I got $20,000 from insurance, looked around, and thought, what the hell am I doing with my life?   So I quit my job, packed things in storage, and bought a round-the-world ticket to visit every country I’d ever dreamed of seeing.

I started a blog called Modern Gonzo, in tribute to one of my favorite writers Hunter S Thompson, and set off to see, and share, the world.   This led to a column for the local newspaper, and 12 months and 24 countries later, I returned home to find I’d somehow become a popular travel writer.   Assignments and other newspapers followed – the Chicago Tribune, South China Morning Post, Sydney Morning Herald.  All the while, I’m jet-setting around the world, but sleeping on couches because hardly anyone makes a living solely as a travel writer.

I thought this would be a neat idea for a TV show, and brought in fellow travel writer Julia Dimon.   Stars aligned, Word Travels (wordtravels.tv) got picked up by a production company, then a network in Canada, then National Geographic worldwide.  Five years since that accident, I’ve been to nearly 50 countries (about 90 in total from previous travels), am seen on four continents on TV, and write for millions of readers.   It has been, I admit it, quite the trip.

How were you able to go from blogging to becoming a travel journalist?

Can you share some tips with other bloggers on how to get their writing published?

People ask me all the time – how do I become a travel writer?  It’s really quite simple.   Travel.  And then, write. You’d be amazed at how many people don’t travel and want to be a travel writer, or don’t write and want to be a travel writer.   If you keep a journal, diary or blog, you’re a travel writer, pure and simple.  Getting published and making a living – well, that’s another story.

Word Travels has taken me to some of the most incredible landscapes (Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ethiopia) to do some of the most incredible things (heli-yoga, cat-boarding, the world’s highest bungy jump!), but it’s been hard work, and at the end of the day, we all wanted to make an intelligent, inspiring travel series that would stand out amongst the glut of yuck on TV, and we worked damn hard to make it so.   We wanted to be fair to each country, its people and culture, and time would always be a challenge.  I’d love to return to every place I’ve been with more time and more money, but than again, I could say the same for life in general.  There’s no wrong or right way to travel. Just the opportunities we get to see the world, and what we make of them.

Thanks, Robin, for a fantastic interview!!

Connect with Robin

www.moderngonzo.com – Robin’s pioneering travel blog, with stories, video, photos and tips from over 50 countries.

www.wordtravels.tv – the OLN/CityTV/Nat Geo Adventure series that follows the lives of two working travel writers.

www.youtube.com/moderngonzo – hilarious self-edited clips from Robin’s adventures

www.twitter.com/robinesrock – Follow Robin’s adventures on Twitter