Dear my generation:   What gives? Where did all the love go? Are we too pragmatic, too jaded? Or are we more aware of the real workings of the world? How can we possibly reconcile the romantic tales still embodied in our media but absent from our lives? Are we...

This is part one of my series of experiments on happiness using Track your Happiness, a “scientific research project that aims to use modern technology” to help you understand what makes you happy. It is the project of doctoral candidate Matt Killingsworth at Harvard University. During the course of many...

I like beef jerky a lot – especially as a travel food. It lasts a long time, does not take up much space and it is extremely rich in lean protein (so it keeps you satiated).   There are problems, though. A standard bag of beef jerky is about 3.25...

A while back, I made the statement that spontaneity is wanting what you get. Recently I had another adventure which has caused me to append to this statement: spontaneity is also knowing how to spot an opportunity.   Too often, we are paralyzed by the fear of the unknown. When...

When it comes to safety, appearances are much more important than fact. Thieves choose their victims based upon who looks like and easy mark.   I just landed in Lima, Peru last night and at no point did I feel at risk. Yet, many people warned me on my way...

No matter where I go in the world, I always know that sanity is just a plane flight away.   I tell people that I meet that I do not really have a “home” and that I move countries every 2-3 months. While this is true, if you look at...

A wise Geometry teacher once explained to me that a point in space is infinitely small. Imagine a sphere that takes up absolutely no space. So, no matter how many points you add together, you’d never be able to fill even a matchbox.   Sometimes, this is how I feel...

In my first “Travel on Minimum Wage” experiment, I successfully cruised around Sweden and surrounding countries for well under minimum wage. I asserted that it was possible to do the same thing in other “expensive” countries as  well, such as Ireland, and a couple weeks ago I set out to...

Animals habituate to their environment, becoming acclimated to its difficulties over times, and we humans are no different. We can become used to difficult things, even so far as that they will no longer seem difficult.   To the left, you see my home for the last 8 days as...

Staying in shape as a traveler is a challenge: space, time, equipment and money are all of concern. It is hard to strictly manage a diet when you are at the whim of what you can find to eat, and don’t get me started on the extortionist prices charged my...