How You can Experience 1920s Paris Today

If there is one era I’d want to visit more than any other, it’s Paris in the 1920s. I’m in love with that decade. The literature, jazz, optimism, style, and atmosphere — I love it all. Midnight in Paris is my favorite Paris movie, and I often wish I could make that real life.

However, unless you have a time machine, you can’t really visit 1920s Paris. What made les Années folles special can never be relived — the spirit, psyche, people, and music have long since faded away. But, as we have seen with the rise of Gatsby-themed parties and Prohibition-style bars, you can pretend! And that’s what I did on a recent visit to Paris, where there are still enough spots that recreate the era’s vibe to fill a visit.

Things to See and Do

• 20 rue Jacob – Back in the ’20s, a lot of American expats hosted salons that would bring together artists and writers to discuss and debate specific topics. One of the most famous was led by writer Natalie Clifford Barney. Although the building she lived in has been rebuilt since her time, during the day, you can often peer into the courtyard and garden where she held her salons.
• The Luxembourg Garden (Jardin du Luxembourg; 6th arrondissement) – This is one of my all-time favorite places to visit when I’m in Paris. These beautiful and gigantic gardens, which surround the Luxembourg Palace (now home to the National Assembly), are also full of walking paths, chairs to relax in, ponds and fountains, statues, and finely manicured lawns that can’t help but inspire and soothe you. On a warm day, the gardens are bursting with people. In his day, Ernest Hemingway was also a fan, and it is said he wrote a lot during his strolls around the gardens.
• Shakespeare & Co. (37 Rue de La Bûcherie, http://ift.tt/j7zTtn) – Located across from Notre Dame, Shakespeare & Co. is one of the most iconic bookshops in the world. The original store opened in 1919 and served as a popular haunt for writers such as Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and others who fancied themselves writers (Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast has a chapter about his visit). The original location closed during WWII. The current store and location dates to 1951. It still captures the spirit of the writer class and does a lot to support writers (it has 13 beds writers can sleep in for free!), hosting readings and events throughout the year. I love wandering through its stacks and picking out unknown titles.
• Montmartre – The Left Bank was the main hangout of artists and writers, but when they crossed the Seine, they went to Montmartre, where the cheap shops, cafés, and restaurants served as a backdrop to their discussions and work. They painted in the squares, debated in the streets, and wandered the tiny cobblestone streets in solitary thought. Today, thanks to the cheap housing, the area is still home to artists and painters (though it is far more touristy)!
• 27 rue de Fleurus – Another salon was hosted by the famous Gertrude Stein, who lived at this address. Anyone who was anyone attended them, including Joyce, Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Guillaume Apollinaire, and Ezra Pound. Today, the rue de Fleurus is a quiet street and the house she lived in has been remodeled, but there’s a plaque above the address marking this famous spot, so you can sit for a moment and imagine what it would have been like to see all the greats walk in and out!

Where to Eat

• Les Deux Magots (6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés, www.lesdeuxmagots.fr) and Café de Flore (172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, www.cafedeflore.fr) – These two cafés are most synonymous with the Lost Generation (those who grew up during and just after World War I). Located right near each other in the now-trendy Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter of Paris, these cafés are where all the artists and writers hung out in the 1920s. Picasso, Hemingway (again), Simone de Beauvoir, André Gide, Jean Giraudoux, Jean Paul Sartre — they were always here. Les Deux Magots sits on the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue Bonaparte and fills the sidewalk with its chairs and tables, while the inside retains its old look: white walls, columns, and large mirrors. Café de Flore, with its large plants and flowers in the entranceway, is cozier but also retains its old-style marble floor and red leather seats.
• La Closerie des Lilas (171 Boulevard du Montparnasse, http://ift.tt/1qWubrJ) – At the far end of the Luxembourg Gardens, you’ll find this tiny little café with a dimly lit interior and large outdoor patio hidden from the street by giant plants. It is said that Hemingway first read The Great Gatsby here. Like the other venues, the interior is still identical to how was it was 1920s.
• Le Polidor (41 Rue Monsieur le Prince, www.polidor.com/en) – In Midnight in Paris, this is where Gil meets his idol, Ernest Hemingway. During the 1920s, this was actually a popular location for the likes of Joyce, Hemingway, André Gide, and Antonin Artaud. Thanks to the movie, restaurant is doing a booming business, but if you can find a seat, you’ll see that the hard-wood interior and décor has changed little since the ’20s. Imagine yourself sitting next to some famous artist of the day over delicious food and wine!

Where to Listen to Music

There aren’t many original music and jazz clubs left that have been around since the 1920s. Most have shifted focus, but if you want to listen to some good music, I recommend these three jazz bars:

• Le Caveau de la Huchette  (5 Rue de la Huchette, http://ift.tt/2o1XPk4r) – This place has become increasingly popular since it was mentioned in the hit movie La La Land.
• Le Caveau des Oubliettes (52 Rue Galande, http://ift.tt/2opQOp5) – An awesome club in the Latin Quarter. This small venue is an ex wine cave dating back centuries. Small and intimate, it’s my favorite of the three.
• Le Duc des Lombards (42 Rue des Lombards, http://ift.tt/KR1cBV) – On the right bank, this jazz club is probably the most famous (and touristy) of the city but it gets incredible acts and pumps out some of the best jazz and blues in the area!

Where to Drink

• Harry’s New York Bar (5 Rue Daunou, www.harrysbar.fr/en) – This is where they created the Bloody Mary and the Sidecar. This nondescript bar opened in 1911 and was a popular hangout for Fitzgerald and Hemingway. The tiny bar, with its deep wood finish, carved ceilings, and red leather seats, still remains intact.
• Dingo Bar (10 Rue Delambre) – This is where Hemingway first met Fitzgerald. It was popular with the Lost Generation because it was one of the few places that were open all night (and they liked to party late into the morning). Today, it’s an Italian restaurant called L’Auberge de Venise, but the original bar remains and you can still come and pretend to have a drink with “Papa.”
• The Prescription Cocktail Club (23 Rue Mazarine, http://ift.tt/14VKLuM) – From the street, all you see is a curtained window, but when you get inside, you’re reminded of a 1920s NYC-style speakeasy. True, this place didn’t exist in the 1920s, but if you’re looking for incredible cocktails and an ambiance and class that says “welcome to history,” slide up to the marble bar and enjoy a drink in this darkly lit bar with exposed bricks and old-fashioned furniture.
• The Little Red Door (60 Rue Charlot, www.lrdparis.com) – Located in the Marais, this is another bar looking to recreate that 1920s speakeasy vibe. It’s easy to pass the little red door of a nondescript building that hides this beautiful small bar with brick walls, eclectic furniture, and amazing (strong) cocktails. While it lacks the true ’20s feeling of the Prescription Cocktail Club, it’s still a fun place to visit!

*** As Hemingway once wrote, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Paris has changed a lot since les Années folles, and while it will never be the same, you can visit the old haunts and — just for a moment — transport yourself back in time and imagine what it was like.

Recommended Books and Movies

• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway
• When Paris Sizzled: The 1920s Paris of Hemingway, Chanel, Cocteau, Cole Porter, Josephine
• Baker, and Their Friends by Mary McAuliffe
• Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy: A Lost Generation Love Story by Amanda Vaill
• Paris in the 1920s with Kiki de Montparnasse by Xavier Girard
• Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach
• Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation by Judith Mackrell
• Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway’s First Wife by Gioia Diliberto
• The Crazy Years: Paris in the Twenties by William Wiser
• Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen

Photo credit: 4

The post How You can Experience 1920s Paris Today appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

March 27, 2017 at 04:20PM

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by IHholiday Travel trip

The Best Way to Travel Southern Africa

Ten months ago we started thinking about our trip around southern Africa. We knew that the region was vast and that travel there was a difficult mystery. We weren’t even sure if it was possible to cross the continent on our own. All we knew was that we wanted to see the great African plains, watch lions attack impalas, and have a drink while listening to the sound of fish eagles.

Fast forward nine months, and we now own a South African–registered Land Cruiser and have been touring the massive continent by ourselves. How did we get to this point? Was it the cheapest option? Or did we make a massive blunder by throwing a bunch of cash into a major liability, what with bad roads, border officials, bribes, and mechanical costs? Perhaps an overland tour would have been the best option? Or might backpacking across the continent have achieved our goal?

What is the best option for budget travelers in southern Africa: an overland tour, backpacking, or self-driving? It all comes down to what you want to see and how you want to experience Africa. Here are the pros and cons of each option:

Overland Tours

Overland tours are one of the most popular options with young people wanting to travel southern Africa these days. All transportation and accommodation, most food, and many activities are covered. They require little to no planning and no driving, are safe, and offer a sure way to meet other travelers.

Acacia Africa, Nomad, Oasis, and Absolute Africa are four of the most popular “budget” overland safari companies. These tours venture in and around South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi (as well as Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania). Some tours cut out a few countries, while the “mega” tours include all of them. Some of the tours spend only two days in a certain country; others may spend a week there.

Acacia and Nomad include almost all activities, food, and park fees in the cost. They save the additional expenses for specialty experiences, like bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge or a hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti.

Oasis and Absolute, on the other hand, opt for a pick-and-choose model and include only a limited number of activities. Instead they drive you from point A to point B and allow you to book experiences with local operators. Oasis and Absolute also include only 60% of your meals. (If you want all of the adventure activities included, the four providers are similar in price.)

Regardless of the overland company, expect to add roughly $5-10 a day for various expenses, like waters, beer, and tipping your guides.

Tour Company	Average Daily Cost
Acacia	$101.80
Nomad	$100.00
Oasis	$55.82
Absolute	$64.46

Note: The prices differ according to where in Africa you are traveling, albeit not drastically. This is a crucial detail when determining to take an overland tour or go at it alone. Southern Africa is intrinsically cheaper and easier to do on your own than the rest of Africa. I like to call it “Africa Light.” Gas is cheaper, national parks are cheaper, food is cheaper, and the infrastructure is better suited for tourism. A tour in South Africa may average $86 a day with Acacia, while its East Africa tour will average $121 a day.

Pros of doing an overland tour in southern Africa:

• Organized tour that requires little to no planning on a challenging continent
• Great option for meeting people, especially as a solo traveler
• Knowledgeable guides and safe drivers on harsh road conditions
• Groups can be great fun

Cons of doing an overland tour in southern Africa:

• Lack of “adventure” on an organized tour
• No independence and hard to get away from the typical tourist activities
• Lack of genuine local interaction
• High cost
• Enjoyment is subject to the atmosphere of the group

 Note: There are a few experiences offered by some overland tours that we do not agree with ethically. Any tour that puts you in contact with wild animals, such as lion walks, cheetah petting, and elephant riding, should raise immediate red flags. Ethics and tourism in Africa can be very murky; don’t always expect your tour operator to vet every activity and attraction.

Self-Driving

There are a plethora of variables that go into self-driving, but we’ll stick with the basics. Operating on the assumption that you will not choose to purchase a vehicle in Africa (you’d have to be crazy like us), your four main expenses will be transportation, food, accommodation, and activities.

Transportation
When we first arrived in South Africa, we got a small pickup rental truck for $650 a month ($21 a day), split between the two of us. We went with a 2×4 to travel through Mozambique, but if you route carefully and skip the dirt roads and sand, it’s very possible to get around most of southern Africa in a sedan (we’ve even met people doing it on motorcycles)!

Rental vehicles are the cheapest in South Africa and can be driven into neighboring countries with a letter from the rental company stating your intent to cross borders. A manual sedan in Johannesburg can be rented for as little as $120 a week.

You may want to drive to remote areas, which means a fully kitted 4×4 rental; those come in at $800 a week out of South Africa and Namibia on the low end for a round-trip car rental.

However, for that price, you can score a truck that can go anywhere and has comfortable roof tents that can accommodate four people — which is the best way to get one heck of a safari for an affordable price. (We self-drove into the Okavango Delta and got further than any backpacker or overland tour could ever go.)

It’s important to factor in road tolls and gas into your costs. Tolls in southern Africa are few and far between, but they do exist and you can expect to pay $10–20 a week in tolls if you’re driving around South Africa.

Keep in mind that distances are vast in Africa, so you’ll be covering some major ground getting from point to point. Southern Africa is bigger than all of Europe, so expect to budget about $100–200 a week for fuel, depending on how fast you move and the distances covered.

While these numbers may be difficult for a solo traveler, a group of friends together can make an African road trip very cheap. Obviously, the cost per person goes down with the more travel companions you add; $10 a day for gas and the rental is possible per person in southern Africa if split four ways. With two people in a smaller car, it’s entirely possible to drive around for $15 a day per person. If you don’t have travel partners, try joining groups on Facebook like “Backpacking Africa” or posting in Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum.

Food
Food in Africa can be very affordable (of course there are some exceptions to this if you are eating out or have a special diet). You can find almost everything you want at large Western supermarkets in South Africa; however, as you work your way north, Western-style grocery stores become a rarity. Outside of big cities, most food will come from roadside stands or tiny convenience stores — all of which offer affordable local prices. If you’re cooking your own meals, you can get by on less than $70 a week for food. That includes eating three meals a day and items that may be considered luxuries to backpackers, such as steak, real coffee with milk, and a decent sandwich lunch.

Accommodation
Campsites can range from $5 to $15 per person a campsite; this does not include a tent or sleeping bag. Camping in southern African national parks is closer to $20–30 per person plus daily park fees. The campsites, except in Botswana, are usually fenced in to provide protection from wildlife and have facilities such as an ablution block. In major cities, you will be able to find hostels, budget hotels, and Airbnb rooms, and it’s very possible to get a bed for the same price as camping. Dorm beds run $10–20 a night and a double room $25–50 a night. But this isn’t Europe, so don’t be picky, and prepare for some less-than-desirable rooms. If you’re feeling truly adventurous, rooms in local roadside establishments cost around $3–8 a night but don’t plan on sleeping much because they’re often noisy and a little dirty.

Activities
You can’t get around Africa without some activity expenses. However, if you have plans on seeing any wildlife, you will have to pay—national parks, private game reserves, and safaris all cost money. The good news is that park costs in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe are all reasonable, considering that these are some of the best game parks in all of Africa. Although you won’t have the comfort of being in a big game viewer and will have to spend money on fuel driving around the park all day, you will still able to see wildlife driving your own vehicle on your own time.These are some average national park fees in southern Africa:

Namibia	$9
Botswana	$12
South Africa	$15
Zambia	$25
Zimbabwe	$30

 Note: These fees are based on international passports and do not include vehicle fees. Note that almost every park in Africa charges a vehicle fee for self-drivers. The fee can range anywhere between $5 and $50 a day, depending on the country and the car’s type and registrationIn summary, it is next to impossible to estimate a budget for driving yourself. Here are some average self-driving costs per day per person:

Rental car and fuel (two persons)*	$15 (sedan) to $57 (4×4)
Accommodation	$10 (camping) to $25 (dorm or shared private room)
Food	$10–15
Activities	$10
Total	$45–105

* Prices are based on weekly car rentals starting in South Africa, where rentals are cheapest.

Pros of self-driving southern Africa:

• Sense of adventure tackling southern Africa on your own
• Freedom to drive wherever you want
• National parks are cheaper than hopping on an organized safari
• You can take as much or as little time in a place
• You can delve deeper into local and rural African life with your own set of wheels

Cons of self-driving southern Africa:

• The paperwork and bureaucratic headache of crossing borders with a car
• Constant planning and routing and always being “on” can become exhausting
• Maintaining and fixing the car if anything goes wrong
• Little to no help if problems arise
• Poor road maintenance can lead to potholes and road corrugation

Public Transport or “Backpacking”

It is incredibly hard to estimate the cost of backpacking around southern Africa because it can vary so widely depending on one’s style. It’s also dependent on if you want to completely go off the grid or if you want to do touristy things. Some may be OK with walking into a village, paying a few dollars to the local chief, and pitching a tent in the dirt, while others wouldn’t dream of this and would rather take public transport from campsite to campsite. Living like a local in southern Africa is very hard if you’re traveling. Poverty is rampant in Africa, and many Africans can’t even afford to adequately feed themselves, let alone travel to the next town while living on a dollar a day. Due to the lack of demand and infrastructure for long-distance travel, the transport options are much more difficult compared to the West and Asia.

Transportation
Local buses around town can cost anywhere from $0.25 to a $1.50. They also only serve local towns and villages. For the larger intercity buses, you can expect to pay $8–25 for a 4–12-hour bus ride (sometimes longer). Tourist spots, parks, hostels, and campsites are often not near any major towns or villages, so you’ll need some budget for local taxis or plan on hitchhiking. The price of a taxi can range from $3 to $15, depending on distance and remoteness.

Food
There shouldn’t be any difference here compared to self-driving. The only exception is that self-drivers have the advantage of buying items in bulk and carrying cooking gear with them. If you are traveling by local transport and backpacking, your food options may be cheaper as you eat more and more of the local food and have less access to supermarkets. On the other hand, your costs could rise since you may not have the proper gear to cook all your own meals and may therefore frequent restaurants more.

Accommodation
Campsites, hostels, and guesthouses will not differ in pricing compared to those for self-drivers. However, as an overland traveler without a car and just a backpack, you can sometimes instead pay a small fee ($3–5) to a local village chief and pitch a tent in the community.

Activities
While you’ll be able to save on most things when backpacking southern Africa, you will lose out when it comes to seeing wildlife. Whereas overland tours and self-drivers have their own vehicle, backpackers will have to pay for each and every safari experience they want to have. Hopping on a day game drives into game parks costs $40 on the cheap end and $200 on the high end. The price difference is large, but most backpackers may visit fewer parks, so the cost difference isn’t out of this world.These are some average backpacking costs per day:

Transportation	$9
Accommodation	$10
Food	$10
Activities	$15
Total	$44

It is possible to backpack Africa for cheaper; we’ve even met people walking, backpacking, or cycling around the continent. However, someone who travels slowly, camps in villages, and skips national parks will have a much different trip than overland tours and self-drivers in southern Africa.

Pros of backpacking southern Africa:

• Complete integration into local life
• Cheaper than a tour or self-driving
• Breaks boundaries with locals as they do not view you as having many means
• Operate on your own schedule

Cons of backpacking southern Africa:

• Uncomfortable, exhausting, long, and even dangerous bus and train rides across the continent
• Greater chance of getting in an accident or having items stolen
• You should get used to being dirty
• No one to help you should something go wrong
• Constant routing and planning can get tiring

Final Verdict

So what’s the best option for seeing southern Africa? In my opinion, southern Africa is best done on your own because of its infrastructure and lower cost. Travel through each country varies a lot: for example, it’s easy to backpack through South Africa; however, car rentals are also cheap. On the other hand, backpacking in a country like Namibia or Botswana, for example, can be difficult due to the best sights being in remote locations with no public transport around for hundreds of kilometers. So, it is generally better to take a road trip with your own vehicle to get to these sights, which can be great fun. Starting in Zimbabwe and heading up into East Africa, it can get very expensive to self-drive and the road conditions really deteriorate. It should also be noted that countries like Mozambique and Zimbabwe could be difficult to self-drive as police corruption is rampant (and for the uninitiated a terrifying endeavor). My tip for dealing with a corrupt cop is to remain patient, never argue, and calmly demand a receipt or real ticket. Backpacking is certainly the cheapest and more local option, but it can be difficult, uncomfortable, and slightly more dangerous. Hence I would generally say overland tours are best for those looking to see Africa but who don’t want to travel alone and not have to deal with planning.

Travel Style Suggestions
In the en,d it comes down to what you are looking for in terms of adventure, interactions, costs, comfort, and ease. It’s a difficult decision because overland tours are certainly the easiest, but also the most expensive and least adventurous. Backpacking can be difficult and uncomfortable and may hinder your experiences in Africa as most of the natural sights and national parks are far removed from populated cities where public transport operates. However, if you’re looking to meet some of the friendliest people on earth Africans are quick to befriend a backpacker. Self-driving falls somewhere in the middle, as it can be incredibly adventurous but will offer the most flexibility with a more mid-range price tag. It all depends on your travel style, but here is what I would recommend doing for each country in southern Arica. It all comes down to average cost, difficulty, and accessibility.

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March 23, 2017 at 02:00PM

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by IHholiday Travel trip

What Lies Ahead: Upcoming Blogs, Projects, and More!

Hey travel lover!

I know it’s been super quiet on the blog and social media over the past month and there’s good reason for that! Today, I wanted to give a little update on the going on behind the scenes and what to expect in the coming months!

First, fret not, there are a ton of new articles coming! I sent seven first drafts off to my editor yesterday for a read. One will go up Thursday and, after that, I have content to take us into May! I’m super proud of the new posts! Upcoming articles include how to experience 1920s Paris, what’s the best hotel booking site, the cheapest way to get around Southern Africa, how to be an au pair, how to create themes when you travel, a new long post on budget travel, tips for the upcoming European travel season, and a lot more.

So get ready!

But why the lack of blogs/replying to comments/social media?

First, I moved. Not out of Austin but to a new apartment with a friend so that took up a few days, especially since it was in the middle of the famous SXSW festival, when most of the roads are closed.

Second, that’s another reason why I’ve been behind. I had friends in town and gave two talks during the festival and, basically during SXSW, you just don’t get anything done since there are so many events to attend!

Additionally, we are short staffed at the hostel so I’ve had to bee there a lot. We’re currently looking for a manager and a few volunteers so if you’re interested in a free place to stay and hanging out in Austin, email hello@hkaustin.com for more information! (Note: We do NOT sponsor visas and inquires about us sponsoring your work visa will just get deleted!)

And, while blogs haven’t been happening, a lot of other stuff has:

1. I’m currently on the Nomadic Network tour doing a series of events and talks around the country. Be sure to come to one of the events over the next few weeks! You can click here to find out where I’m going and how to join! (If there’s a waitlist, don’t worry! We’re opening more spots and people keep dropping out!)

2. I launched/wrote a lot of new destination guides so that consumed a lot of my time! (These take awhile to create!) Be sure to check out the new guides to Malta, Laos, South Africa, Finland, and Czech Republic, and Poland! (If you feel I missed anything, let me know!)

3. Finally, what has been consuming a lot of my time, is a new book proposal! I’m looking to write another book this year and I just wrapped up the proposal! I’m not going to share what it is about yet but it will be very different from my last one (and something not found on this blog)! Fingers crossed!

Coming up, besides new blogs and the Nomadic Network tour, I’ll be doing tours in May and June!

We’re keeping busy over but a lot of more great stuff is coming soon!

– Matt

The post What Lies Ahead: Upcoming Blogs, Projects, and More! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

March 20, 2017 at 02:00PM

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Why It’s Never the Right Time to Travel

Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes our regular column on solo female travel. It’s an important topic I can’t adequately cover, so I brought in an expert to share her advice for other women travelers to help cover the topics important and specific to them! She’s amazing and knowledgeable. This post covers why there will always be reasons not to travel and how there will never be the perfect time to go!

Life is short — we have limited time to do the things that we really want to do. It’s also a voyage — or a sack of coins that are yours alone to spend. (Those are my metaphors for life, anyway.) And it’s supposed to be fun. For a lot of people, that means not waiting until retirement to travel but rather getting out there and exploring now.

If you want to travel now, but you’re scared to go it alone, you’ll be able to find excuses everywhere if you look for them. You’ll find ways to say you can’t do it right now: you’re not ready; your job, friends, or fears are holding you back; you have too many obligations.

Basically, these excuses mean you’ll never get on the road. Because at every stage of your life, you’ll be able to find a reason why it can’t work for you. It will never be the right time to travel — especially as a woman…

1) …because you’ll always be asked when you’ll settle down…

A common question I get from people back home concerns when I’m going to “settle down.” Don’t I want a relationship and a family of my own? My question back to them is: Why is traveling and having a family mutually exclusive in this day and age? Families travel all the time, and some even full-time.

Of course, I have had to make choices, and there are sister lives that I didn’t live because I chose to travel. I won’t know what could have been with the handsome Frenchie, because I didn’t choose to stop being a travel writer and move in with him. It might have been nice, and naturally I can’t ever be sure that I made the best call, but I do know that sitting on the beach in Tanzania, writing this to you, is one of the happiest moments of my life, and that I have these moments all the time, because adventuring is what gives me life.

I used to think that if I wanted a relationship I’d have to give up this life of traveling. But since something in me always whispered “go,” I always left. It hurt me to my core, but I had to. Because Mr. Right will only have one thing to say to me, and that’s “May I join you?”

2) …because there will never be an accepted time for women to travel alone…

We women don’t have it easy. We are expected to be smart, collected, beautiful, graceful, strong, and slightly independent, but still docile enough to be loved and cared for by a partner. We are supposed to chase opportunities — but only the ones handed down to us by the status quo.

What I always find interesting, though, is that the women in history who are heralded are the ones who did the opposite of all of that.

Think of Harriet Tubman, Joan of Arc, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, and an endless list of other women who are pretty much universally loved and respected for doing the exact opposite of what society expected of them. We praise them for their bravery, and for having the kind of foresight and ability to question the system that made them into heroes later.

Now, traveling the world won’t make you a hero to the world, but what about to yourself?

3) …because you’ll always be a target…

In the week before I started traveling on my own, an article came out about two girls who died in Vietnam, supposedly due to poisoned alcohol. Everyone was sending this article to me, telling me to “be careful” — ignoring that a deadly movie theater shooting had just taken place in Colorado, much closer to home than Vietnam. I went anyway, and I’ve stayed safe through almost five years of solo traveling.

While are no statistics that pertain specifically solo female travelers, there are statistics on violent crimes globally, such as rape and murder, and they’re actually encouraging. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, “over the past decade, rates of homicides in the most populous cities consistently decreased in all regions.” Additionally, murders and rapes are most often perpetrated by someone the victim knows, meaning it’s more likely to happen at home. And according to UNDOC, men are four times as likely as women to be victims of homicide worldwide.

So maybe the world isn’t as scary as it’s so often portrayed.

Traveling safely isn’t rocket science. Do what you do at home to stay safe, follow a few important safety tips, and choose places that are great for solo female travelers. Start there, get your feet wet, and branch out as you gain experience and confidence.

4) …because you will never have enough money…

I used to think that I needed to retire before I could travel full-time, and even then, I’d need to be pretty rich. For my week’s worth of paid time off, I was easily spending $2,000 in Mexico or Hawaii, trying to do it all and come back with photos of me having a blast on the beach with a $9 cocktail in my hand.

What I didn’t realize back then was that my money would have been worth two or three times as much had I strayed a bit farther away from home. Southeast Asia, India, and much of Central America can be dirt cheap, especially if you’re willing to do it on a shoestring. Staying in hostels, eating and traveling like locals, and moving more slowly are all great ways to save money and turn that week of PTO into a sabbatical instead.

Even if you’re earning minimum wage, having trouble figuring out how to travel cheaply, or just think you’re too poor to travel, if you’re sitting at a computer reading this right now with a passport that lets you go to other places in this world, you have the ability to make it happen financially. Change your mindset, and the rest will follow.

5) …because your family will always freak out…

The toughest part of traveling solo is often the pushback from our parents. We wonder how we can get them see it from our point of view and support us.

The more important issue is what you’ll regret later. Will you wish that you’d stayed at home to please your parents, who — since they undoubtedly love you — do want you to live a happy and fulfilled life? Even if they don’t necessarily understand or support everything we do, our parents want the best for us. That’s what having a child is – understanding that you’re creating a human who will have her own brain, and eventually be an adult who is self-sufficient.

It’s your life, not theirs. Letting other people make monumental decisions for you is a great way to go down the path of regrets.

6) …because you’ll wait forever for someone to join you…

I understand not wanting to travel alone. I didn’t want to do it either, until I decided that I really just had to travel the world and it had to happen prior to turning 65. I knew my friends couldn’t do it with me — they had jobs they didn’t want to leave, and so did just about everyone else I could think of. Sometimes, the dream to travel will be yours alone, and that means you have to do it by yourself if you’re going to do it at all.

I was pretty worried about being lonely, but when people asked about that a few weeks into my trip, I laughed that I had ever had that fear. I was meeting other people constantly. It doesn’t matter if you’re shy; someone will probably start a conversation with you, especially if you stay in a social hostel. Once you get out there, you’ll see what I mean. It’s all about just taking that first step.

****

Every problem seems insurmountable at the time, but there are ways to get around those obstacles that keep you from traveling, no matter what. The key is to look for the solutions and break them down into manageable pieces rather than trying to tackle the entire thing at once. Save up, break the news to your parents, do your research so that you (and they) will be less worried, and let everyone else’s opinion stay with them. It’s your bag of coins, and your life. Get out there and spend it how you want to!

Kristin Addis is a solo female travel expert who inspires women to travel the world in an authentic and adventurous way. A former investment banker who sold all of her belongings and left California in 2012, Kristin has solo traveled the world for over four years, covering every continent (except for Antarctica, but it’s on her list). There’s almost nothing she won’t try and almost nowhere she won’t explore. You can find more of her musings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram and Facebook.

Conquering Mountains: The ultimate Guide to Solo Female Travel

For a complete A-to-Z guide on solo female travel, check out Kristin’s new book, Conquering Mountains. Besides discussing many of the practical tips of preparing and planning your trip, the book addresses the fears, safety, and emotional concerns women have about traveling alone. It features over 20 interviews with other female travel writers and travelers. Click here to learn more about the book and start reading it today!

The post Why It’s Never the Right Time to Travel appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

March 09, 2017 at 04:26PM

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11 Ways to Improve Your Travel Writing

This post is a little inside baseball about travel writing. It’s a follow up to my semi-ongoing series on travel blogging that started with this post, continued with this one, and will now (probably) end with this post here. To me, the crux of all online endeavors is good writing. I’m constantly trying to improve my writing. With so many blogs out there, if you can’t write engaging stories, you’ll never get anywhere! So today, I want to introduce one of my favorite travel writers, David Farley, who is going to share 11 writing tips for fellow bloggers and writers out there!  Here’s David:

I always thought that once I started writing for glossy travel magazines, I could relax a bit because I’d “made it.” Nope! Then I thought that once I began penning pieces for the New York Times, I could say I was successful. Not. At. All. OK, maybe when I had a book out, published by a major publishing house, things would get a bit easier for me. I wish!

Writers, in some way, are a sorry lot. Rarely do they ever look at something and say “perfect!” Maybe for a moment — but give a writer a day and he or she will come back to that same article and find dozens of mistakes. Writing is a craft you never perfect.

We’re always striving to be better. Creatives tend to be perfectionists. Writing requires you to keep learning and improving.

But that’s good because that drive makes writers improve their work, and only through practice and effort do we end up with the Hemingways, Brysons, Gilberts, and Kings of the world. (Matt says: I once heard that until the day he died, Frost never loved The Road Not Taken. He was constantly reworking it!)

If you’re a travel blogger, you probably started off not as a writer with a journalism background but as a traveler looking to share your experience. You probably didn’t have any formal training or someone to peer over your shoulder and give you advice.

So today I wanted to share 11 tips that will help you improve your travel writing/blogging. Because the world always needs good writers — and good writing helps get your story heard more! These tips, if followed, will better your writing and make a huge difference in the reach of your writing!

11 Ways to Improve Your Travel Writing/Blogging

1. Read. This is number one. because whenever a budding writer asks me how they can improve, it’s my first piece of advice. Read good writing. Absorb it. Let it sink into your soul. Don’t think it’s possible? When I was first starting out, I was sick one weekend, so I spent three days lying in bed reading every page of that year’s Best American Travel Writing anthology. After I finished, I opened up my laptop and started writing for the first time in days. What came out surprised me: it was the highest-quality writing I’d done to date. And it was all because I was absorbed in good writing and it filtered through me back onto the page in my own writing.

(Matt says: Here’s a list of my favorite travel books.)

2. Do it for love. Maya Angelou wrote, “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.” Don’t get into travel writing for the money — after all, that would be totally unrealistic. And please don’t gravitate to the genre because you want free trips and hotel rooms. “Instead,” Ms. Angelou added, “do [it] so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” Or, in other words, strive to become such a good writer that the editors of all the publications you have been dreaming to write for can’t ignore you anymore.

3. Don’t be attached to linear writing. You need not compose a piece from beginning to middle to end. Sometimes that’s not the ideal structure of the story. Sure, maybe you’ve already figured that out. But if not, it’s OK to just get a few scenes and paragraphs of exposition down “on paper.” Then you can step back and take a look at the bigger picture and rearrange what you have, figuring out the best way to tell the story.

4. Tap into your own sense of motivation and drive. The students of mine at New York University who have been most successful were not always the most talented in the class. But they were the most driven. They’d read enough quality writing and thought about it — understanding what made it so wonderful — that there was just something about writing that they got. They weren’t born with that understanding, but ambition drove them to seek out better writing and then to think about it, to analyze what made it good (or not so good). Drive also inspires future successful writers to go out on a limb, to render themselves vulnerable, by reaching out to more accomplished writers to ask for advice, or by introducing themselves to editors at events or conferences. Don’t be shy! Standing in the corner quietly won’t get you as far as putting your hand out to introduce yourself will.

5. Try to figure out what gets your mind and writing flowing. Let me explain: I can sit down at my laptop and stare at a blank Word document for hours, not sure how to start a story or what to write about. Then I’ll respond to an email from a friend who wants to know about the trip I’m trying to write about. I’ll write a long email with cool and interesting anecdotes about my experience and include some analysis about the place and culture. And then I’ll realize: I can just cut and paste this right into the empty Word doc I’ve been staring at for the last three hours! Several of my published articles have blocks of texts that were originally written as parts of emails to friends. The “email trick” might not work for everyone, but there is inevitably some trick for the rest of you — be it talking to a friend or free-associating in your journal.

6. Understand all aspects of storytelling. There are two types of travel writing: commercial and personal essay (or memoir). In commercial travel writing, you should make the various parts of the story an intrinsic aspect of your knowledge: from ways to write a lede to the nut graph, scenes, exposition, and conclusions. For memoir and personal essays, know what narrative arc means like the back of your typing hands. It helps to get an intuitive understanding of these things by paying attention to writing — to reading like a writer — as you read nonfiction (and travel) articles.

7. Don’t stress if your first draft is shit. Ernest Hemingway said, “The first draft of anything is shit.” And he wasn’t kidding. I find this true when I’m writing a personal essay or travel memoir. I write and I write and I write, and I’m not exactly sure what I’m putting down on paper. What’s the point of this? I ask myself. Why am I even doing this? But here is where patience comes in: eventually, the clouds part, the proverbial sunbeam from the heavens shines down on our computer monitors, and we see the point of it all: we finally figure out what it is we’re writing and how to best tell that story. It just happens like magic sometimes. And not all at once: sometimes it’s bit by bit, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. But as I mentioned, patience is key, because we never know when that divine magic is going to be activated. But sit around long enough and it will happen, I promise you. (Just be cautious when taking Hemingway’s other writing advice: “Write drunk, edit sober.”)

8. Write what you know. “Start telling the stories that only you can tell,” said writer Neil Gaiman, “because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that — but you are the only you.”

9. When you’re finished with a draft, read it out loud. Preferably, print it out and read it out loud. This will allow you to better hear how the piece sounds, and unacceptable segues and clunky sentences or turns of phrases will jump out at you in a more obvious way.

10. Always get another set of eyes on your writing. While all writers make mistakes, it’s harder to spot them without an editor. Editors are very important, but they don’t necessarily have to be someone with formal training. While hiring a copyeditor is always great, if you can just get a friend to read your blog or story, that might be good enough. It’s even better if you have someone who doesn’t know about travel. I have a friend who doesn’t travel much; she reads all my blog posts because she helps me make sure I include the important details I might have skipped. See, when you’re an expert on something, you often fill in the blanks in your mind. You go from A to C automatically; step B becomes subconscious. And when you write, you skip step B because it seems so obvious. Getting someone who doesn’t know the steps will help ensure you include explain everything in your post and don’t leave your readers going, “Huh?”

11. Finally, learn to self-edit. This is where many people go wrong. They write, they read it over, they post. And then feel embarrassed as they say, “Oh, man, I can’t believe I missed that typo.” You don’t need to be master editor, but if you follow a few principles, it will go along way: First, write something and let it sit for a few days before editing. After your first round of edits, repeat the process. Get another set of eyes on it. Print out a checklist of grammar rules to go through as you edit. (Note: Matt created one here for you.) As you review your work, say to yourself, “Did I do this? Did I do that?” If you follow the cheat sheet, you’ll catch most of your mistakes and end up with a much better final product!

Writing is an art form. It takes a lot of practice. When you’re a blogger out on your own, it can be harder to improve your work, because you don’t have an experienced voice giving you tips and advice and pushing you to be better. If you don’t take it upon yourself to be better, you never will be. However, even if you aren’t blessed to work under an editor, these 11 tips can help you improve your writing today and become a much better blogger, writing stories people want to read!

David Farley has been writing about travel, food, and culture for over twenty years. His work has appeared in AFAR magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Condé Nast Traveler, and World Hum, among other publications. In 2006 and 2013, he won the Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers for magazine articles he wrote. He has lived in Prague, Paris, and Rome and now New York City. He is the author of An Irreverent Curiosity and was a host for National Geographic. He teaches writing at Columbia University and New York University.

If you’re looking to become a travel writer or just improve your writing, David and I created a detailed and robust travel writing course. Through video lectures and examples of edited and deconstructed stories, you’ll get the course David teaches at NYU and Columbia (without the price). If you’re interested, click here to learn more. 

Photo Credit: 3

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March 06, 2017 at 04:42PM

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The Nomadic Network: The New Way to Meet Other Travelers

Every traveler needs a community. Stepping out the door into the wild unknown can be a daunting task, and planning such a trip can be overwhelming without the proper know-how.

Where do I book the best flights? How do I find the best travel insurance? What shots do I need? Where do I stay? How much of the language do I need to learn before I go? How much should I budget? Will I make friends? Will I be safe? What’s the best way to get money?

These questions — and a million others — all bubble to the surface when planning a trip, and it can be a challenge to address them all without help. While I have been incredibly lucky that my family and friends help and support my love of travel, not everyone has those same support systems. Not everyone has a community they can rely on when planning a trip.

Years ago, I launched the community forums as a place where travelers could interact, chat, get to know community members, and ask the little questions that didn’t always lend themselves to long blog posts. It provided another way to get your travel questions answered. Fast forward to now and we have over 7,000 members and do regular contests, member features, polls, and have a book club.

But I’ve always wanted to do even more than that. I’ve been wanting an in-person community. As incredible as a virtual community is, people are still social animals. And the truth is that the Internet will never replace the benefits of human interaction.

I’ve always been inspired by my friend Scott’s LYL worldwide community meet-ups and wanted to create something similar — but with a practical twist. I wanted to create an in-person community and planning event where people could meet future travel partners and community members, as well as learn practical advice, pick up resources, and take action right away!

Enter The Nomadic Network.

What is The Nomadic Network?

The Nomadic Network will be a global community of travel enthusiasts who support and inspire one another to travel better, cheaper, and longer. Whether it’s a short jaunt to a nearby city or an indefinite round-the-world trip, The Nomadic Network is here to help the world travel — one nomad at a time.

Starting in March, I will be road-tripping around the USA, organizing events with Chris (this site’s community manager) where we’ll meet up with you and talk about ways to plan your trip. Part workshop, part socializing, we want to bring travelers together to show how easy it is to make your travel dreams a reality. The goal here is to not only give you advice but also help you meet other like-minded people in your area, so you can have a support network of people to push you when you feel unsure of yourself!

Our first series of events begin in March in the following cities:

• March 19: Seattle – Eventbrite | Facebook
• March 20: Portland – Eventbrite | Facebook
• March 21: San Francisco – Eventbrite | Facebook
• March 23: Los Angeles – Eventbrite | Facebook
• March 26: San Diego – Eventbrite | Facebook
• March 28: Austin – Eventbrite | Facebook
• March 29: Chicago – Eventbrite | Facebook
• March 30: Washington, D.C. – Eventbrite | Facebook
• April 2: Philadelphia – Eventbrite | Facebook
• April 3: NYC – Eventbrite | Facebook
• April 5: Boston – Eventbrite | Facebook

These events are FREE and will run for two hours (or longer if you stay around), feature a presentation, Q&A, and social happy hour!

While we are starting with just a few cities, after we do this and get feedback, Chris and I will do another trip around the US and then Canada. Eventually, Chris will run the whole show and we’ll have local chapter leaders and events all around the globe! I want to empower the community and it take it to the next level – offline and in the world where it belongs!

But one step at a time right!

I am really looking forward to this new initiative. Travel isn’t just some fun and exciting series of adventures (though it often is that!). It is a tool for personal growth, a way to learn about yourself and the world we live in. And, most importantly, it’s a way to connect with people from around the world and understand other cultures. Travel bridges gaps. And, in a world that’s so divided, I think a little connection goes a long way.

Naturally, you don’t need to be a full-time nomadic backpacker to benefit from this community or these meetups. This is a community for anyone who wants to (and loves to) travel. So whether you are a weekend flashpacker, looking to plan your honeymoon, or are a globetrotting vagabond, come to one of these events! I’ll be offering practical advice no matter your travel style!

Looking forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

Nomadic Matt

P.S. – I’m not married to The Nomadic Network name so if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!

P.P.S. – BIG NEWS! This year I’m also relaunching the Nomadic Matt group tours. You can come travel around with me and other community members! I’ll be doing four this year. You can find out more about them and sign up by clicking here. 

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March 02, 2017 at 04:04PM

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