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Friday Moment of Zen with Thought and Music: Paulo Coelho and Kendrick Lamar

                                 Friday Moment of Zen with Thought and Music: Paulo Coelho and Kendrick Lamar

“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” The boy asked completely surprised. “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”

-Paulo Coelho

 

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Travel Wisdom: Kids Know Best.

Trekking through the mountains of Laos with my buddy Dave we were staying with small villages of people in rural conditions. We pretty much slept on straw mats and their houses were constructed well, but were pretty much weaved together around a few wooden supports. There was maybe one light bulb in the direct center of the hut if they were lucky, but mostly it was candles. There was a cooking fire in the center that everyone crowded around at nighttime and dinner.  I don’t consider these people poor because…

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Motorcycle Accident and the Death of my Travel Muse

There is a moment when we intensely discover something that we love about life that marks us, that forever changes us. I knew early on I liked travel and I was well aware I was quite fond of motorcycles, but it wasn’t until I bought my 2nd Motorcycle from one of my best compadres that either of those things became a passion.

I took a month off work to ride it up the West Coast from SoCal and across the top through the Rockies all the way back to Cincinnati,…

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What I did on my Summer Vacation: Life Creeps West at a Slow Pimp’s Pace

For about the last year and a half I’ve been rambling around the eastern U.S. and Canada, spending time with friends and family from where I grew up trying to formulate a plan for more adventure. 

Moto Dharama Bum
Moto Dharama Bum

The more I looked the more I saw, the more I saw the more I planned, the more I planned the less I did until suddenly I was reminded of something Sylvia Plath wrote:

“I saw my life branching out before me like the…

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Friday Moment of Zen with Thought and Music: John Cage and Radiohead

                              Friday Moment of Zen with Thought and Music: John Cage and Radiohead

 

“Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos, nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply to wake up to the very life we’re living, which is so excellent once one gets one’s mind and desires out of its way and lets it act of its own accord.” -John Cage

 

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Falling in Love on the Road and the Wisdom of Bill Murray.

As traveler and travel writer I get interviewed and asked a lot of repetitive questions.  One of the questions that I get asked the most and one that so many travelers before me have written about is love.

How does a nomad find his soul mate? How can you fall in love if you are constantly traveling?  Is it possible to live a travel lifestyle and have a long-term relationship?

Well, I guess this is my two cents. There is no formula to love.  It happens when it is ready…

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7 Ways to Travel In and Around Bangkok Thailand

Bangkok is the heart of Thailand, the biggest travel hub in South Asia, and one crazy chaotic wild human zoo.  In the words of Sir David Attenborough, “Getting to places like Bangkok or Singapore was a hell of a sweat. But when you got there it was the back of beyond.”

When you’re traveling around “the back of beyond” with almost 6.5 million people and endless streets you’re going to need a little help. Here’s five ways to get in and around the BKK.

1.    Tuk Tuks

A…

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How to Travel Safe like a Jedi: First Aid Kits, Travel Insurance, and Instinct

Unpredictability makes traveling exciting and like anything else worth doing it can also make it a bit dangerous.  I’ve had my fair share of calamities on the road, but ye must remember the old military saying, “Victory through preparation.” 

There are three things I contribute to my ability to walk away healthy from my travels; a solid first aid kit, travel insurance, and following my gut instinct.

First Aid Kit

If you intend to spend any amount of time traveling having a first aid kit is a no…

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5 Ways to Make Traveling in Europe Easier

Traveling is simply one of the best things in the world, but like anything else worth doing it can come with its hassles. Europe is one of the most visited destinations on Earth and probably the top destination for most Americans like myself. Europe can be tricky and expensive, but with 5 easy pointers I’ll help you avoid some of that newbie stress.

1.)    Having an international converter is key, but what happens when you forget one and can’t plug in you standard US phone cord…

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