Archive for the ‘Words of Wisdom’ Category

Sustainable social initiatives change lives forever and the visionary people who create these incredible projects that grow and impact the fortune of an existing community are who inspire me the most. There isn’t a more perfect example of this than what the Proyecto Horizonte organization is developing in the small town of Ushpa-Ushpa just outside the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Thanks to a connection made by friend and fellow traveler, Kiersten, we had the opportunity to visit Ushpa-Ushpa and work with Proyecto Horizonte for a few days to learn about all the amazing things they were providing for this community. Home to approximately 1,500 families, Ushpa-Ushpa was established by former miners in August of 2001 who migrated to Cochabamba in search of brighter prospects. Beginning as an illegal settlement outside Cochabamba, the community eventually grew to be recognized as part of the neighboring city even though it lacked any infrastructure …

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I’m writing this post from 35,000 feet in the air on my way from Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Cancun, Mexico. As I squeeze into the middle-row seat on a 6-hour flight between 2 layovers and an overnight bus ride, nothing can push me off the feeling I have at this moment. The feeling is of complete warmth. One that rushes through your body when something you’ve been working so hard for finally comes to fruition. It’s like that sensation you get on a Friday afternoon when the sun hits your face as you leave the office. This is the feeling I crave and one that constantly drives me. Last Saturday, the BiblioWorks staff, myself and nine other volunteers put on the first ever book fair in Sucre, Bolivia and it went off without a hitch. We had 15 educational institutions participating, 11 corporate sponsors and hundreds of children and adults …

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One of the most frequent questions I receive in the T2T inbox is how I meet and befriend locals while traveling and living abroad. The entire concept of this site focuses on that interaction and I base the success of each adventure on the friends I’ve made and authentic moments I’ve shared with locals. I’m not saying you can’t have the same experiences following the backpacker trail or hanging out in tourist bars, but I do think that while traveling, everyone should make some effort to understand a place and culture through the people who define it. The moments I cherish most while traveling and living abroad are those when taking photos seems inappropriate and an explanation of the scene always falls short of the feeling. They are the times when you feel comfortable being part of something completely foreign. It’s for this reason I’ve gone into every South American …

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This experience would have never happened if it wasn’t for friend and fellow traveler Ayngelina from Bacon is Magic. We were having a chat one day while I was in Lima and she told me I had to visit Eco Truly Park, a Hare Krishna community outside Lima. As I began to explain that it wasn’t really my thing, she uttered the few words I can never pass up. She said, “C’mon you should do something different, it will be a very unique type of adventure.” She knew just what to say. I was sold. I left Lima 2 days later and ended up spending almost a week at the Eco Truly Park, volunteering for room and board as I learned about the Hare Krishna religion, ate like a vegetarian and entertained everyone with my terrible yoga ability. I expected to feel completely out of place when I arrived. I …

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Last week I turned 28 years old and like many people, my birthday was met with a lot of reflection and evaluation about life. I was talking with my cousin who called to wish me a happy birthday and during our conversation, he helped me put things into perspective. Out of the blue he says, “well, it doesn’t look like you’re going to reach your goal anytime soon does it?” I had no idea what he was talking about. He continued… “Wasn’t it always your goal to become a millionaire by 30?” I was amazed that he remembered. I sat speechless; thinking about what he said as old emotions came flooding back. Somewhat embarrassed and thrown off, I laughed and said “You’re right, that was the goal and no, it doesn’t look like it at this point…” Since I was a sophomore in college I’ve had one primary goal in life: …

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How much do we really know about ourselves until we push past what we currently think is possible and achieve more than what we’re comfortable with doing? When I was 15 years old my dad took my brother, sister and I to an amusement park in the Wisconsin Dells. As we approached the park you could see this massive tower casting an intimidating shadow over the property. Faint screams echoed into the parking lot as miniature figures threw themselves off the tower’s ledge with only a bungee cord securing their future. My brother, 5 years my senior, and sister, 17 at the time, saw the madness as another adventure to conquer. I saw it as another reason to shit my pants. They climbed up the narrow caged in stairwell, tied some rope around their ankles and jumped off. Landing safely on the giant blow-up mat below, both rolled off and …

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When Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark to go uncover the new world, I can only imagine the thoughts that ran through the two explorers minds… Were they sad about leaving home, excited about the new adventure, nervous, anxious, overwhelmed? I wonder, out of all the emotion and anticipation, what did they tell their friends and family? Did their families understand? Did their wives stick around? What happened when they returned 2 years later? As I prepare for my 3rd departure from home to South America, I find myself thinking a lot about relationships and how the dynamics change when I leave (and return). This is a topic very familiar to fellow travelers, expats and maybe even those famous adventurers, Lewis and Clark. I think about friends and the family. I think about what home is and what sacrifices are. I think about opportunities, selfishness and glory. I think about a …

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Everybody always asks me… “Don’t you get lonely traveling by yourself?” My response is always… of course! Every day isn’t filled with wild rainforest excursions, epic pool parties or historic polo championships. Building a network takes time. The work and travel balance is usually around 80% excitement/happiness and 20% anxiety/loneliness. I get nervous that I won’t be successful at meeting new people, I get depressed when I don’t make immediate connections and I get overwhelmed that I haven’t done everything as of yesterday. As expected, the first few days are always the most difficult. I don’t feel comfortable hanging around the hostel crowd and I stay clear of “comfortable connections” so I make it harder than it would be for most solo travelers. My loneliness is a direct result of my own self-imposed restrictions, which I’ve created to help me obtain my goals. With that being said, I’ve implemented 6 …

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Stay away from the fruity shit kids, it’ll give you a headache. Check out more photos of Guatape, Colombia

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I’ve been making To Do Lists since College. They’re a great way to organize your thoughts when you’re overwhelmed. Before I left for Buenos Aires I created the To Do List Page to keep a record of everything I wanted to get done over the course of the year. I update it continuously. This morning I also made a To Do List with some additional things that I want to do while I’m here (like restaurants and bars) and posted it on the fridge for a constant reminder. I would recommend To Do Lists for everyone (especially if your traveling) so you can maximize your experience anywhere. Also, you feel like you accomplished something when you check stuff off (so put some easy things on there as well like, shower). SIDE NOTE: I used to write really long titles for my To Do Lists to push me to get things done. Like the… “To …

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Here’s a brief look at what it took to get to the Fiesta de la Tradición in San Antonio de Areco this weekend. Have you ever had one of those days where everything just seemed to work out? Well, for my buddy Nate and I that day came when we needed it the most. We decided the night before to try and get to the Fiesta de la Tradición in San Antonio de Areco. We didn’t have any tickets, knowledge of the town or any idea of how we were going to get there but we knew it would be a good adventure. So we just sucked it up and winged it. Here is a quick look at the series of events from Saturday night until Sunday night which led to the best night/day in Argentina yet… 11:00pm – 3:30am - Argentine Birthday Party 3:45am – 6:30am – Met up with Nate & Friends …

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This weekend I got to check out a few new spots around Buenos Aires and went to my first Argentine House Party in San Telmo (pictured above). Thursday, I went to this new bar called DUIDUI in Palermo Hollywood… which was a great time (despite it’s uncomfortable name). It was cool because there was no sign outside and you had to ring the bell to get in. Also, when we left, they had to unlock the door to let us out. Although it sounds kinda shaddy it was a really nice, upscale spot. It was laid back with a big mix of nationalities and a young, cool staff. A friend and I ended up trying out our spanish with a few Argentine girls. We came to find out they drive 45 minutes into the city every weekend to go out. Dios Mio! The conversation was a bit of a push but when in doubt, go …

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