All stories
Browse by category:
-
How to reduce your environmental impact at hotels as a constant traveler.
As a tour director I often find myself in a different hotel every night. Being a minimalist, I struggle with the waste generated by such frequent room turnover. In an effort to reduce my footprint, I’ve incorporated several habits to minimize my impact on our finite resources. Use only one bed There are often two…
-
Finally…a cashless society
I arrived in Seattle today by light rail. I simply walked on and rode to downtown without interacting with a ticket agent or conductor. It wasn’t until the end of the day that I realized my money clip had never left my pocket. I met up with my friend John at lunchtime. We signed onto…
-
Electric Scooter Failure
My introduction to electric scooters was not a pleasant one, but I learned to appreciate them more as I got better acquainted with their ability to efficiently move me about town. Since then, I’ve ridden them in various cities around the world, including Lisbon, Portugal. I was walking with a friend who hadn’t seen them…
-
Preparing for Aussies in America
When I first got the call to lead a 3 week tour of America’s National parks, I seized the opportunity. Though I hadn’t been to most of the parks we would visit in years, I had two months to prep for it. What I hadn’t realized is that I would be prepping for three tours…
-
How I entered Europe without leaving Africa
The wind that blew through the night was the kind that slammed shutters against the wall and rattled doors to the extent that sleep was reduced to sequential naps interrupted by a series of banging noises. As I ate breakfast across from the reception desk of the Moroccan hostel, the doorbell rang. It was a…
-
Getting flooded out in Paratay, Brazil
At 12:30pm, I boarded the 10am bus for Paratay with my ticket for 4pm. What I hadn’t realized when I arrived at the bus station is that the incessant rain throughout the previous night was unusual. Normally Brazilian summers at the coast include an afternoon thunderstorm, which provides a temporary relief from the hot humid…
