Round-the-World Cruise Packing Challenges Packing for my upcoming Round-the-World Cruise has brought some unique challenges. Not only will we be visiting hot and cold climates, but there are other considerations. For one thing, trekking through 22 different countries means we will be trekking through 22 different cultures. Offensive clothing varies The challenge is to dress comfortably without offending the locals. Every culture defines “offensive clothing” differently, so I’m doing careful research. In some places, this means that even if it’s 100 degrees out, I’d better make sure my arms, décolletage, and knees are covered – especially before entering places of…
Category: Travel Photo Essays
Travel tips, photos & travelogues from all over the world.
A new type of travel journal When I travel, I often pack a glue stick and scissors so I can make a scrapbook journal using maps, tickets, brochures, etc. For my upcoming round-the-world trip, however, I’m trying something new (at least to me!) I’m going to create a digital travel scrapbook! Best of both worlds? I’m really excited about this! I usually end up with a paper scrapbook, a printed photo book, and a written journal for each trip. A digital scrapbook means I can easily incorporate my photos and travel ephemera directly into my written journal. Easy to share…
What is a Secret Santa? Have you ever heard of a Secret Santa gift exchange? For me, it’s a family tradition. Each year after Thanksgiving dinner, my family members write our names on a slip of paper and toss it into a hat. Each of us then takes one slip of paper out of the hat and silently reads the name written there. We then become a Secret Santa for the person whose name we have drawn. You’re not supposed to tell anyone who you are a Secret Santa for until Christmas day. That’s when we have the big reveal! What…
Free Books as Halloween Treats Five years ago, my pal and fellow author, Patricia Lynne had a brilliant idea. She calls it Trick-or-Treat reads, and here’s how she describes it: For those of you who don’t know, Trick-or-Treat Reads is a Halloween event where authors put their books for free and readers go trick-or-treating to get the books. BOOKS ARE THE CANDY! My Halloween Freebie for You: For this year’s Trick-or-Treat Reads, I’m offering a free music album & lyrics book. Yes, in addition to writing books, I’m also a singer/songwriter who plays several instruments. A couple years…
I’m baaaaaack! Hey, #IWSG peeps! I didn’t mean to fall off the monthly posting wagon, but… sometimes my life feels like a blender on frappe and I end up going in so many directions that the only way to deal with things is to pull back from everything except for what I absolutely have to do. So that’s what I did! My writing life is good, but… Though hectic, life’s been great for me, writing-wise! In January, I was contacted by a publisher and after a flurry of negotiations, research, and writing, my first book with Reedy Press will be…
Author Interview: David Kravetz’s “Unique Town Names” Today I’m bringing you an interview with first-time author, but longtime writer, photographer and quirky traveler, David Kravetz. Does his name sound familiar? Readers of this blog may recall his wonderful guest post “All About Jackalopes.” [Disclosure: Some of these links may be affiliate links, which means I earn a few pennies at no additional expense to you if you click on them and make a purchase.] David Kravetz: Kindred Quirky Traveler I met David Kravetz several years ago on Twitter, and I immediately realized he is a kindred spirit. We both love exploring offbeat…