If you’ve been stalking following me on Facebook, you might have heard that my friend Scotti texted me last week to get me to take a few days off work at the end of the month. She said we were going on a trip but wouldn’t tell me where. All I knew was that I wouldn’t need my passport. After visiting her in Charleston last weekend, I finally found out that on May 31, we are going to SAN FRANCISCO! Her brother Fletcher is riding his bike across the country with his fraternity brothers to raise money for Americans with disabilities and we will be seeing him off, along with seeing the sights.

I haven’t been since TEN years ago (see embarrassing photo above) and I’m very excited to see the city again and spend time with my friend. Who else’s friends would surprise them with a trip across the country? I don’t know any! I really have the best friends in this or any other universe. So I need your recommendations! I’ve got quite the list already, including the food trucks Spencer Spellman has gotten me interested in.

And now for the other part of this title, the sponsors bit. I am going to be an ambassador for ExOfficio, a fantastic travel and outdoors clothing brand. You’ve probably heard of them for their safari vests, fly fishing shirts and underwear you can wear for two weeks straight, but they’re more than just khaki. I’m out to prove that us city gals can rock their clothes as well, so you will see me talking about how much I love their clothes on here and on Facebook, but don’t worry, I wouldn’t talk them up if I didn’t love their products.

They sent me a whole box of clothes to try on and boy, have I. I plan on wearing primarily ExOfficio on my upcoming trip to San Francisco. I’m spending 5 days there and the city is known for its unpredictable weather, so I have to be prepared for everything. Here’s what I’ve got laid out so far.

My Plane Outfit: ExOfficio Go To Shirtigan, black leggings, black cords Toms

It feels like pajamas and I don’t have to worry about wrinkles or re-tying my shoes after security.

My Going Out Attire: Dri Release black dress, red flats, scarf

I can’t go anywhere without a little black dress! This one is made with Dri Release, meaning I won’t sweat it out.

My Outdoorsy Gear: Chica Cool Long Sleeve Hoody, Nomad pants, trail runners

What else should I pack for my trip to San Francisco?

I read a post on Wandering Earl a while back about how he’s been able to travel for the last 12 years almost continuously and my friend Margo just reminded me of it. So how have I been able to afford to travel?

In most people’s terms, I can’t. 

I’m not a trustafarian with parents bankrolling this “broadening of my horizons.” I have never played or won the lottery. I don’t even work over 40 hours a week at a soul sucking job. I basically have just worked for a few months at a time, traveled, worked, traveled, repeat. I also take a few steps to ensure I keep things as thrifty as possible.

1. I live at home while saving up to travel. I’ve got great parents who support me in my love of travel, so I live rent free for a few months at a time.

2. I cut down on things like eating out, new clothes, nights out. Not to mention that I don’t have much time for a social life when I’m working.

3. I budget my money while traveling in regards to accommodations, but splurge on experiences. I wrote down literally every tiny expense while in Australia, which you can see on the insane spreadsheet I created.

4. You don’t need nearly as much money as you think you do to travel. Flights will almost always be expensive, but if you cook your own meals and CouchSurf, you can save lots.

5. Temp jobs are easy to find if you know where to look. Many of my friends in Australia worked for agencies for hospitality staffing, event staffing and worked handing out fliers.

Trip: Amsterdam and Paris 2006-2007

How I Saved: I must admit that my parents gave me some money for this one as a Christmas gift, but I covered most of the other expenses by working at a department store for the summer. It was also an organized tour, so the majority of the expenses were covered before I even left.

Trip: London and Ireland 2008-2009

How I Saved: Twice a year I work for a month or so, doing over 40 hours per week at the Atlanta Gift Mart, which sells merchandise to stores all over the Southeast. By the end of that time, I have enough for at least half of my trip’s budget. I also worked as an office assistant at a law firm for almost six months to save up for this trip.

Trip: Thailand 2010

How I Saved: I didn’t really. I went on a mission trip with my church and the spot had already been covered before I even volunteered to take it. All I needed was spending money, which I didn’t need much of since I was staying in volunteer accommodations in the mountains, with little time for souvenir shopping.

Trip: Croatia 2010

How I Saved: I worked at a Mexican restaurant for three months to save up for this trip. I also received spending money for graduation, which I used on this trip.

Trip: Australia 2011

How I Saved: I immediately started saving up for this trip once I got back from Croatia. I worked another show at the Atlanta Gift Mart, as well as working at a French cafe for six months and doing a bit of freelance writing. This amount of money lasted me a little over a month, so once that ran out I got a job, where I stayed for another six months. I didn’t go out too much but still paid rent and bills, but was still able to save up enough money for another three months of travel.

Trip: Germany and Austria 2012

How I’m Saving: I work part time at a restaurant and am doing a bit of freelance work on the side. I’m also (hopefully) getting my superannuation money back from my time in Australia and saving my tax refunds. And while it doesn’t count for much, I fill out surveys on e-Miles and e-Rewards.

I hope this sheds some light on how easy it can be to save for travels if you make it a priority.

I was very excited to return to Charleston for my college reunion and in celebration of my sister Sammi’s 22nd birthday. Our present to her was something completely out of my comfort zone, a kayaking tour on Mount Pleasant’s seafood capital, Shem Creek.

I did my research and booked the Shem Creek and Crab Bank tour with Nature Adventure Outfitters. We arrived at 10 am after a night out downtown, so I was having doubts about my ability to hold myself together.

Sammi and I chose a tandem kayak because neither was on our full game and Sammi has been kayaking many times. We went past the Crab Bank, which is home to colonies of seagulls and pelicans.

I’m sure Sammi expected me to complain the entire tour, but I actually got into it, especially when our guide told us about all the things he’s found in the ocean, like whale vertebrae and sharks teeth.

We paddled through the inlets on Shem Creek and saw traps full of blue crabs, getting ready to become someone’s dinner. In the last five minutes of the tour, we saw dolphins right in front of us, but I wasn’t quick enough to snap a picture. I’m glad I sucked it up and went on this tour.

Nature Adventures also runs tours in the marshes, from James Island and overnight tours to Capers Island. Prices start at $40.

In case you were wondering, this is what I look like kayaking.

Getting There

Nature Adventure Outfitters, 483 West Coleman Blvd, Mt. Pleasant. South Carolina, 843-568-3222

After the last interview with Peace Corps alum Melanie, American expat Edna contacted me about her jobs overseas, including this job as a digital strategist in Singapore, as well as her current gig as a private tutor in Paris. I’m excited to present a totally different kind of interview, one most people would see as a “real” job since it doesn’t include two years of volunteering, but this is proof that the corporate environment can be a good thing!

• Name: Edna Zhou
• Location: Currently, Paris, France
• Job Title: Digital Strategist in Singapore

How did you find out about this position in Singapore? Craigslist, funny enough. I’d tried all the usual job databases, but the job market in Singapore is especially tough for foreigners who have no experience — almost every expat there is brought in by their company, and the rest of the job opportunities go to Singaporeans, Malaysians, or PR (Permanent Residents). It’s even openly written on job listings: “Singaporean or PR only”. So after a few weeks of fruitless job hunting, I decided to turn to Craigslist — and it worked.

What made you want to apply? The position sounded right up my alley — despite the fancy title it was basically a social media manager, meaning I’d spend all day working on facebook, twitter, foursquare, etc. I’d been highly involved in social media for years; I even wrote my senior thesis on Twitter. It seemed a perfect fit. (Also, at this point I’d been in Singapore a month without a job — I was getting desperate!)

Were you given options on where to work? How did you decide on Singapore? No, because the job was with a Singaporean production studio, and their only office was obviously in town — in a great location actually, which only helped my decision to accept the job (I hate commuting). As for Singapore itself, I’d moved there on a whim after graduation because a.) I knew I didn’t want to stay in the US, and b.) I knew I couldn’t go back to my expat life in China; it was too easy and I’d end up stuck in the China Bubble at only 21. I wanted to try something different.

Why is social media marketing a good postgraduate option? People of our generation grew up with social media. We’re used to putting out a high volume of information online; we also know what it takes to reach others similar to ourselves. For companies especially looking to reach a younger crowd, it’s the perfect situation for both the fresh grad and the company.

What was your daily routine as a digital strategist like? Each day I’d be focusing on a different project, but they were all centered around two things: working with sponsors, and driving viewers to our show.

In the mornings I’d schedule updates for our show’s twitter and facebook pages via Hootsuite (I pretty much lived in Hootsuite during this job) and monitor the traffic to our website and various social media networks. Because I came on the show after post-production I didn’t have to worry about procuring sponsors with the marketing department, but it was my job to place sponsors’ names into as much web content as possible; then after the season was over I combined everything into a report for each individual sponsor. While the show was on the air, I would go over each week’s episode and prepare the social media centered around that particular episode’s theme or sponsor. I even got to develop a couple contests with some big-name brands — for instance, I now know how much work goes into creating a foursquare badge.

Who is working as a digital strategist NOT suited for? It can be a very superficial world, marketing — depending on your company, your job every day could basically be to be a corporate mouthpiece, trying to convince consumers to watch this or buy that. If you don’t find that fulfilling (which I didn’t, which is why I quit despite being offered to stay another season) — then it isn’t for you.

What have you learned from being a digital strategist? For one, I learned so much about the worlds of marketing (see above) and public relations. I never knew how much work goes into promoting a TV show — or any product, from movies to makeup to hotels. It’s made me realize just how much we are being advertised to 24/7; plus I’ve become very aware of any product placement, anywhere. I also learned a lot about just office SOP – from lingo, like what a WIP is; to proper phone and email etiquette after meeting with clients. Things that seem obvious now, but didn’t going in as a fresh (politics) grad.

What are the pros? Because of our sponsors, I got to attend some pretty cool events, get some swag, and hang out with models. And I get to say I created two foursquare badges!

Also, working in Singapore has its own pros: There are so many public holidays, it’s quite easy to travel away for long weekends (to Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia especially) — without having to take any days off work!

What are the cons? Demanding clients, long hours…but worst of all, it can feel incredibly superficial (if you’re working in certain fields). I felt like a sell-out; like my sole purpose in life was to make rich companies richer. I’ve never wanted to be that kind of person; naive as it sounds, I’ve always wanted to make a difference. And I wasn’t doing that by promoting fancy jeans or villas.

Do you need any certifications or knowledge to be a digital strategist? Most companies probably require (or would prefer) someone with a communications background, and some experience. I had no experience, but I think I made up for it with my strong online presence — one look at my social media networks or blogs would tell you I’m not new to this game. And of course, you have to show that you’re focused — when your job is to be on facebook and twitter all day, it’s incredibly easy to get distracted.

You’ve had some other quirky overseas jobs. Tell me about those. When I lived in China, I wrote for Shanghaiist (part of the popular Gothamist network); the highlight being when I got to attend and cover the opening of Shanghai’s first Apple Store — we were the first ones to post on it and I got to see my name and photos plastered all over the China/tech sites, which was a great feeling for an aspiring journalist. I was then events manager for a company that was launching a Shanghai iPhone app, which provided great insight into the fields of tech and founding a start-up in China. On the sports media side, I’ve worked for the International Sports Press Association at the 2011 Shenzhen Universiade Games, which is like the Olympics at the university level; and was on the social media team of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing Championships. And of course, I’m currently in Paris as a family’s private English tutor, which isn’t as quirky; but working for them a few hours a week, I actually earn enough to save money, take French classes (my reason for moving to France in the first place) and experience la vie Parisienne at the same time.

Additional advice or information? 1. Never be afraid to take a leap. I’ve always jumped headfirst into a country and worried about things like a job second – things always end up working out. 2. I never thought I’d end up in the fields I have, but they’ve ended up being a thousand times better than if I’d followed the political science path – so Never be afraid to say YES to a job. Even if you don’t think you know anything about it or if you could even do it – if you’re offered something interesting, take it! Even if you fail, you’ll have gained a lesson and an experience.

Thanks again to Edna for another awesome Day in the Life interview. It makes me want to move across the globe (again) to work as a digital strategist! I’m looking for even more people with unlikely post-grad jobs that allow them to travel or live overseas. If you qualify, send me an email!

If you saw the last few editions of  Travel Writing Round Up, welcome back! There are a lot of great opportunities this month, so I hope you will take full advantage of them. A lot are repeats from last month as well, but new posts are denoted with stars. I have checked all the links to ensure that they are still valid, but please let me know if I have missed one. Feel free to shoot me an email at caroline.eubanks@gmail.com. I’ve also created an open Google Document where you can add writing opportunities if you see them throughout the month, or take down ones you know have expired. *Some of the jobs listed are not travel writing but are jobs within the travel blogging and media field.

Paying Markets

Web

• Matador Network: As one of the top travel magazines on the web, they’re always looking for content, but they’re pretty picky. Find out what they’re looking for on the Bounty Board or submit your own ideas. If they are interested in your article, you will be compensated with $25.
• BootsNAll Travel Network: BootsNAll offers writers the chance to get their writing published, even if they don’t get paid, through the Traveler Article program. For features, essays and expert traveler articles, you can be paid between $20-50 for your work.
• Do It While You’re Young: This blog is everything a girl needs to know about travel. They are looking for posts in the following areas: Destination Details, Reader Perspective, Hotel Aficionado, Six Months Out and Trip Review. You will be generously compensated with a $5 Amazon gift card per article. *For Destination Details for Latin America, Asia, Africa and other lesser-known destinations, they are offering $10 Amazon gift cards and $20 for stories on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
• The Travel Belles: This sassy Southern blog is looking for posts ranging in length from 400-1200 words about first-person experiences that don’t sound like they were copy and pasted from a brochure. They pay $10 per article via PayPal.
• Go Nomad: The website needs features and destination guides about places in the United States and South America. They pay $25 for 1500-1700 word articles and pays on publication. They accept reprints. You can check out their writer’s guidelines for more details.
• Lost Girls World: The girls’ website has exploded since the release of their book and now is as good a time as ever to write for them. Contributions must be between 500-1,500 words and apply to the mostly female audience of the site. Their posts often get picked up for the Huffington Post and in-flight magazines. They now pay $12 for specific Destination Guides and “How to Pitch To…” series.
• Unanchor: This new website is seeking people to create itineraries for various cities across the country and will pay you according to sales of your itinerary. *Note: Unanchor is changing the way they pay their writers. Learn more about it here.
• Go Overseas: A great resource to study and work abroad travelers looks for posts less than 1000 words about life overseas. They pay $25 via PayPal upon publication.
• GoMad NoMad Magazine: This online magazine is looking to pay $25 for articles on lesser-known destinations, posts from the road and practical travel advice.
• Galavanting: Kim Mance and her crew are looking for features and blogs on girlfriend getaways and female travel, from 200-1000 words.
• Epic Thrills: This blog is focused on adventure travel, so posts should be geared towards it, less than 800 words.
• World Hum: Easily the best website for quality travel writing, World Hum closed its submissions for a while when they were dealing with the Travel Channel buyout, but are now looking for new content. See your name next to the likes of Rick Steves, Don George and Rolf Potts.
• In the Know Traveler: This website pays $10 for features and $3 for blog posts on almost any travel topic.
• Perceptive Travel: Editor Tim Leffel runs a tight ship over on this webzine, which only accepts work from published book authors. This probably applies to a small percentage, but if your story is accepted, payment is $100.
• *World Nomads: As one of the most recognized travel insurance brands, World Nomads has a strong following on its Ask a Nomad app as well as its blogs. Their posts are 650-1200 words and pay $60 AUD. Content should be about travel tips, off the beaten path destinations, responsible travel and working holidays.
• The Traveler’s Way: This new travel website is looking for frequent contributors who can commit to 2-3 articles per month on inspirational and informative travel articles for the Baby Boomer travelers. Articles should be 800-1,200 words in length for features with at least one photo. Payment is $30 via PayPal. Contact maryjo@thetravelersway.com if interested.
• Tripbase: This popular industry blog is looking for writers on the topics of family, fun, history and food. Articles should be 800-1,000 words in length and pay $30, but must include photos. Apply through their website and submit a trial article before being accepted.
• Transitions Abroad: This long-time resource for those moving abroad is looking for articles on long-term travel, teaching English abroad and cultural immersion and pays $50-150 via PayPal.
• The Expeditioner: This travel website wants first-person travel narratives and tips for its growing website, between 1,000 and 1,300 words. Writers will be compensated $30 or according to experience. Past writers have been featured in their book.
• Wild Junket Magazine: Nellie’s blog has now led to an online travel magazine, which is looking for contributors. Payment ranges depending on the department, but is between $50-150 per article.
• Wandering Trader: “I’m looking for bloggers that have traveled extensively through parts of Asia and Africa (Not Eastern Africa) for paid written posts. Contact me if your interested wanderingtrader@gmail.com.
• *HitRiddle: This website commissions travel posts for many award winning websites on a contractual basis.
• *Backpack Forever: It’s a live and up to date online guidebook with tips from travelers like yourself. And you don’t have to worry about carrying it around!

Print

• Westjet Up! Magazine: Canadian airline Westjet has a great in-flight magazine that focuses on destinations in North America and the Caribbean. Payment ranges from $150 and up, depending on length. Check out the contributor guidelines for complete details.
• Wild Blue Yonder Magazine: Frontier Airlines’ in-flight magazine takes the approach of “true to travel.” They are looking for articles between 200 and 2,000 words for their True Traveler city guides, dining guides, service articles and feature articles.
• Delta Sky Magazine: They’re looking for travel and lifestyle & business features ranging from 600-2,000 words. Note that there is a four month lead time for this publication.
• Go Magazine: AirTran’s in-flight magazine seeks destination-lead features, 1,200-1,400 words, which highlights a destination that AirTran flies to. They also accept pitches for On the Town, 400-900 word stories about a destination, celebrity cover stories and business stories.
• EnRoute Magazine: Air Canada’s in-flight magazine has a variety of sections that freelancers can cover from 500-1500 words. See the website for descriptions of each section. Payment is $1 Canadian per word, with payment upon acceptance.
• The Australian Way: Qantas’ in-flight magazine is looking for features on their destinations, ranging in length between 500-1500 words
• Get Lost: This Australian glossy travel magazine features some great photos and is always on the lookout for writers.
• Verge Magazine: This new Canadian magazine focuses on volunteering and travel with a purpose. Rates for first-time contributors start at $0.10 CAD per word. Shorter pieces should be around 800 words while features range between 200-2500 words.
• Wend Magazine: Wend focuses on adventure travel and sports. Article length ranges by department, but should be between 150 and 3500 words. Pay also ranges by department, but is between $100-1300.
• Outside Magazine: While their focus is outdoors and sports, Outside also publishes travel pieces. They don’t accept contributors for some sections.
• Nevada Magazine: This publication is focused on Nevada tourism and pays 40-50 cents per word, with most articles ranging in length from 500 to 1,000 words. Web stories are paid a $200 flat rate.
• Aruba Nights Magazine: A Caribbean island publication is seeking stories on activities, dining, shopping, history and culture of the islands of Aruba, St. Maarten and Curacao. Pays $100-250 for 300-750 words on acceptance.
• Business Jet Traveler:  ”BtoB magazine featuring objective, authoritative service copy aimed at passengers on and owners of business jets. Goal is ‘maximizing your investment in private air transport.’ Articles cover buying and selling jets; reviews of new and used jets; tax and financing issues; cabin refurbishment; flying charter; and more. Also offer some lifestyle content, including luxury car reviews, travel articles and interviews with celebrities and others who fly privately.”
• *Harbors Magazine: This publication from Kenmore Air, a small airline operating in the Pacific Northwest, is seeking freelance writers to contribute articles on destinations, lodging, wine, culinary, fishing and boating angles. Send queries or LOAs to Bobbie Hasselbring, Editor, hasselbring@bctonline.com or query@harborsmagazine.com.

Unpaid Guest Post Opportunities

• Art of Backpacking: I love doing guest posts for Art of Backpacking because I feel like they “get me.” They are looking for posts that follow their philosophy of covering all aspects of backpacking, from relationships to gear reviews to that song you can’t get out of your head from your hostel. Posts must be at least 400 words.
• Her Packing List: Female travelers can submit posts about the things they must have when they travel, book reviews, destination packing lists and gear reviews.
• Nomadic Chick: Jeannie has been offering female travelers the chance to share their stories on her blog for Summer Chick Tales. Check out the editorial calendar to see if your post is the right fit.
• Indie Travel Podcast: Craig and Linda Martin, the couple behind this award-winning podcast and website, are looking for people to do destination-related posts. Check out their website for more details.
• Twenty-Something Travel: Stephanie’s blog generally covers the themes of solo female travel, RTW travel and career breaks. She accepts guest posts on travel experiences, as well as photo posts.
• Y Travel Blog: Caz and Craig have one of the most successful travel sites on the web, so a guest post for them almost guarantees traffic. They’re looking for posts on destinations they haven’t visited yet, namely Eastern Europe, North and West Africa, Central and South America and Antarctica.
• 48 Hour Adventure: Justin spends a weekend in a city and writes about how much you can see in 48 hours, but he can’t be everywhere, so if you have tips to contribute, send him an email.
• Hostelbookers.com: One of the top hostel booking websites wants travel bloggers to pitch topics ranging in length from 600-1000 words.
• Student Travelog: The newest brainchild from The Travelling Editor is this site for student travelers. They’re looking for features on student travel and destination guides.
• Eco Traveller Guide: This green travel guide is looking for guest posts on sustainable restaurants, accommodation and travel in general.

Non-Paying Markets

Web

• On UR Way Travel: This Aussie-run online travel magazine is looking for 3-4 contributors a month to inspire others to travel. There are also opportunities to contribute to the blog in the World Experiences and Weekly Glimpse sections.
• Vagabondish: This offbeat travel zine is looking for writers to cover three sections of the publication: features, which covers how-tos, social commentary, reviews of about 1,000 words; news + sidelines, covering current issues in 200-300 words; and dispatches, focusing on the travel narrative.
• Not For Tourists: You have probably heard of their guidebooks, but NFT is increasing their web presence and looking for writers to review restaurants and write longer 1,000+ word features. These opportunities are unpaid, but NFT offers you editor status and “free stuff.”
• Wanderlust and Lipstick: This well-known women’s travel website is looking for wander tales written by females.
• Ravn.com: A subtle mix between deal sites and travel guide, Ravn wants writers to make “playlists” of favorite sights for their featured destinations, including New York City, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston. Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas and Philadelphia sites are coming soon. Contact Alisha Miranda at alishamiranda.biz@gmail.com for more information.
• The Taste of Travel: Cailin and Candice, two of my favorite bloggers, teamed up with friends to create a travel blog about food. If you’ve got a great meal story, recipe or video, contact Cailin at CailinONeil@TravelYourself.ca.
• Travelettes: Backpacking in Heels: This female travel blog is looking for new travel stories. Send your ideas to contribute@travelettes.net.
• Destinations Travel Magazine: Web magazine is looking for contributors in regards to luxury travel. Articles should be 500-700 words.
• *The Travel Word: The group behind Intrepid’s Urban Adventures is always looking for guest posts according to their editorial calendar.

Print

• S.E.A. Backpacker: This magazine is for backpackers and by backpackers and loves everything about Southeast Asia. You can find copies in hostels throughout Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Bucket-loving writers should submit ideas about destination reviews, backpacker advice, recommended things to do and other topics related to backpacking in Southeast Asia and travel in general. Compensation is not currently being offered. Contact nikki@southeastasiabackpacker.com for more details.

Jobs and Internships

• *STA World Traveler Internship: It’s that time of year again, when STA Travel is sending X interns on a round-the-world adventure, documenting the trip through blog posts and videos along the way. You’ve seen their handiwork in the past and you can become one of them.
• *Sandals Resort Promotions Manager: The highly successful resort chain is seeking a full time PR coordinator for the Miami office.
• *Backpack Forever Internship: This internship is for backpackers who want to receive college credit from a US accredited school with an awesome startup.

Inspiration

• What Americans Fear vs. What Americans Should Fear, Matador Network: It really puts all of my irrational fears in perspective and replaces them with more realistic ones.
• Your First Trip Abroad: 5 Reasons the Lost Girls Love Contiki for First Time Travelers, Lost Girls World: I took my first trip without my family with EF College Break, not Contiki, but agree with many of their points.
• Tsunami 2012: I Thought I Was Going to Die, Never Ending Footsteps: I’ve never experienced a natural disaster quite like a tsunami and Lauren made me want to avoid it at all costs!
• Top Ten Things to Do in Port Douglas, Australia, Heels and Wheels: I heard so many great things about this town in Far North Queensland but only drove through there on the way back from Cape Tribulation. This post makes me want to go back and explore.

Helpful Links

*This is where I take most of my job and freelance listings from, so feel free to check them out.

Now get writing.

Like what you read? You should subscribe to Caroline in the City for your RSS reader of choice or my monthly newsletter.

A few of you filled out a survey that I created to give me some information on my readers and direction on what I need to do more or less of. Thank you so much for the feedback and I have taken it to heart. I’m breaking down the things I’ve learned from your answers.

How did you find Caroline in the City?

Most of you knew me in “real life” and subsequently started reading my blog. A few more found it through Facebook either linked from a friend’s profile or through Networked Blogs. I’m glad to have readers who I know in real life, but I’d like to have even more that I’ve yet to meet.

How often do you read Caroline in the City?

Once per week is the frequency that most of you read my blog, with a few who read 2-3 times per week. I’m sure it depends on who subscribes via RSS and how often I post on any given week.

How often should I post?

Everyone answered either more frequently or the same amount. I will likely continue posting three or so times per week until my work schedule balances out.

What destinations do you like reading about?

I gave the options of 1. Charleston, Atlanta and the South, 2. the United States as a whole, 3. Croatia, 4. Australia and 5. Other. You could pick multiple selections, but the highest majority was for Charleston, Atlanta and the South. I’m glad that’s the case because I’m starting a new blog soon that will focus primarily on traveling the South. The next highest was for Australia, which has my most posts to date.

What kinds of posts do you most enjoy reading about?

For this question, I wanted to know which types of posts readers really remembered. You could choose as many as you want between my travel experiences (“Why I Hated Fraser Island”), surviving the real world posts (interviews with AmeriCorps, Peace Corps volunteers, “Making Travel a Priority in College”), destination guides (“Best of Atlanta”), photo essays (“Great Ocean Road”), and reviews of hostels, books, products (“Review: Backpack Oz”).  Travel experiences got the most votes, followed by destination guides and the other choices with one vote each.

I also wanted to know the age range and gender of my readers. 

I can find most of these details out through Google Analytics or Alexa, but I was curious as to what ages and genders would respond to a survey. I had responses for age ranges 18-24, 25-40 and 41-50. And I knew that my audience was primarily female, but a few males responded.

Where do you read Caroline in the City?

I was pretty sure no one would say that they read my blog while at work (the bosses might see this!) and I was correct. Most readers view from home with a few on the go, via mobile device like a smart phone or tablet. I asked this question so that I could make sure my blog is mobile-friendly.

I also asked about occupations, where everyone lives and how often they travel.

Many responses were from those in similar fields of social media and digital research. Most were from North America, of course, and travel every year or a few times per year.

Are there any additional changes you’d like to see on the blog?

I heard from a few people who said the site is too dark and it hurts their eyes. I agree (I’m still messing around with the colors every day…) and I’m currently saving up for a total redesign now that I’ve sorted out all the WordPress business. I met a lovely designer last week and I’m coming with ideas to send her in the coming weeks. I’m looking to keep it as a blog, not creating a website format, and keeping it photo-heavy.

Any more feedback you’d like to provide? Leave it in the comment section or send me an email.

I’ll leave you with the song that inspired the post title.

The EasyJet Inspiration Initiative  offers a great concept, asking travel bloggers what our travel inspirations are. I was nominated by Heather of There’s No Place Like Oz, whose blog was a major source of inspiration for me when I was planning my year in Australia. I have an inspiration board in my room where I tack up photos from magazines of places I’d like to visit (Mont St. Michel, Taj Mahal), postcards, ticket stubs and other travel mementoes. This post is my more emotional inspiration board, the things I keep tacked in the corners of my mind while planning trips and traveling.

Who

Growing up, the only people I knew who had traveled much outside of the US were my dad’s parents, who I call Meme and Papa. My sisters and I would always try to stay up late enough to go with my dad to pick them up from the airport from one of their many adventures. When we were young, they always brought us dolls, from Russia, Africa and everywhere in between. Now that we’ve outgrown dolls we collect jewelry from around the globe. My personal favorites are the light blue earrings from Greece, reminiscent of the waters of Santorini, and a black diamond necklace my grandfather brought my grandmother from Alaska. They originally started traveling because my grandfather was interested in engine shows, which brought them to Australia and Peru, as well as all over Europe. They’ve been to all 7 continents and have made friends on each trip that they still keep in touch with. Their friendliness and ability to meet people is one of my biggest takeaways from their travels. They have also treated each grandchild to a trip anywhere in the world for their sixteenth birthday, giving each of us the gift of travel. I chose London, Sammi chose Italy and Rachel chose Hawaii.

What

There’s nothing I love more than talking about travels. Whether you went to India for a year or Indiana for a week, I love hearing every detail. I also feel inspired when people, particularly readers of this blog and acquaintances from home, ask me for advice on how they can incorporate travel into their lives. I’ve been contacted by high school classmates and even recently some gals from my alma mater, College of Charleston, who were planning their own adventures in Australia. My greatest wish from writing for this blog is that I push at least one person to get out there.

When

If you haven’t read my blog before, you might not have known what a big impact my visit to Croatia had on me. After my May 2010 graduation from College of Charleston, I spent a month volunteering in northern Thailand, followed by a sailing trip through the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. It was one of my first trips completely alone in a country where I didn’t speak the language. I was on a boat with a dozen Australians, all with plenty in common, but it’s where I met “the boy” that brought me to the next stage of my life. The trip made me realize that I can be a solo traveler and that there’s nothing to be afraid of. I also realized that going back home to a desk job just wasn’t for me.

Where

As I said above, I met an Australian boy and decided that I would spend the next year on a working holiday in Australia and see where my relationship with him went. I lived and worked in Sydney for six months and went on a trip from Sydney to Adelaide, through Canberra, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road, while surviving a flood and a car without air conditioning in the Australian summer. Once my time at the job was over, I went to the Outback and took a bus up the East Coast to Cairns, where I went scuba diving and bungy jumping. I loved my time there and met some terrific people. There’s still so much I haven’t seen there, including Darwin, Perth and all of Tasmania, so I hope to make a trip back there in the future. It’s a land of great contrasts, with desert and coastline, cities and small mining towns. I highly recommend a visit because you can find something for everyone.

I want to nominate some blogs that I’ve recently gotten into because I can’t wait to hear what inspires each of them.

• Hayley on Holiday
• Aussie Au Pair
• See Hay Fly
• Jackie Travels
• Leah Here

A few weeks ago, Sammi and I drove over to Decatur, a hip neighborhood in Atlanta, for me to research an article and to keep us busy. Sammi has been working at a 4 H Center an hour south of town and hasn’t gotten as many hours as she wants, so she spends a lot of time at home. I still haven’t started my job at a nearby restaurant and I was beginning to crawl out of my skin.

Decatur is known for cute boutiques and the most bars per square foot of anywhere in town. I was checking the award-winning Square Pub, named one of Garden and Gun‘s Best Southern Bars, and the Brick Store Pub.

I’d been to Decatur a few times before, once to visit a friend at Agnes Scott and most recently for the Decatur Book Festival a few months before I left for Australia.

Decatur is known for the surrounding universities, namely Agnes Scott College and Emory University, so it has the same funky student vibe as Athens.

I was most excited about Brick Store Pub because I had lusted over the outdoor patio and vintage wooden doors on my previous visit to Decatur. It’s right off the square, so it’s easy to find.

But the real reason to visit Brick Store? They have a second bar devoted completely to Belgian beers. In case you don’t drink a lot of beer, most Belgians are easy to drink, light wheat beers. Just don’t put fruit in it because it’s not Blue Moon.

The beer menu is longer than the food menu, so ask the knowledgable staff for recommendations depending on your tastes. Sammi ordered locally brewed Wild Heaven while I went Belgian with Blanche de Bruxelles. The glass even has the Mannequin Pis on it!

I was taking notes and photos of the place and one of the waiters came by to ask what I was doing. I became very embarassed and stumbled over my words, saying, “Uh well um I’m trying to write an article um but nothing has happened yet.”

Thankfully we ordered food and I didn’t have to talk anymore. Sammi got grits and sausage bites with Anson Mills grits, andouille sausage and tomato jam, while I went authentic with fish and chips.

Getting there

If you’re staying in town, you can take the Blue MARTA line east towards Indian Creek and get off at the Decatur station. It lets you off in the middle of town.

If you’re driving, you can take 75 or 85 into town. Get off at the Freedom Parkway exit and take Ponce de Leon Avenue all the way to Decatur.

I’ve been back from Australia for four months now and I’ve had time to really start to miss things about it. But they aren’t necessarily what you think they would be. I started writing this post over a month ago, but after reading Cailin’s post on the things she hates about Australia, where she is currently visiting for the seventh or so time, I knew it was time to finish it. When I was in Australia, I had a lot of time to think about missing Charleston and now I miss my third home of Sydney.

Public Transportation

While I admit that there are many flaws in Sydney in particular’s public transportation system (I found Brisbane’s to be great and Melbourne’s trams easy to use!), including pre-pay stops and how early they stop running, it’s leaps and bounds above MARTA here in Atlanta. I live 30 minutes outside of the city if there’s no traffic, but it would take me over an hour and a half to get into town using public transportation, which includes the drive to the bus or train stop. In Sydney, you could get as far as the Blue Mountains and Newcastle just on trains!

Diversity

You can hear half a dozen languages just standing on George Street in Sydney on any given night. I loved working with girls from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Turkey and Sweden, learning about their cultures. You don’t exactly get that in the suburbs of Atlanta.

Cafe Culture

One of my favorite activities was finding new cafes in surrounding neighborhoods. It’s no secret that my favorites were Post Cafe in Marrickville and 2204 in Petersham. I would always order a cup of T2 tea and people watch. We have more coffee shops here than cafes.

Ethnic Food

I never really got into Asian food before moving to Australia, probably because it’s not terribly good here as we’re closer to Mexico. But I often ate Portuguese, Thai, Indian and Turkish foods, which I hardly could have identified beforehand.

Beaches

After living in Charleston, I thought I knew beaches, but Atlantic Ocean beaches are not comparable to Pacific Ocean beaches. The Bondi to Coogee walk was one of my favorite things I did there and once my friend Flo moved to Coogee, I spent as much time there as I could. The beaches up the coast, including Newcastle, Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise and those in northern Queensland, are just as beautiful.

Benefits and Pay

When I started working in Sydney, my job came with so many benefits I didn’t expect to get. I was set up with superannuation, which is like a 401K that the company has to put money into every pay period. Since Australia has more social programs, I only paid $50 for a doctor’s visit and medication that time I had dysentery. I also often walked into the pharmacy to tell them my symptoms and they gave me medication I would need a prescription for back home. And the pay is outrageously good, but comparable to the prices. At my cafe job before I left, I was paid $2.50 plus tips, while at my bartending gig I got $17 plus tips.

Neighborhoods

There are so many cute neighborhoods, especially outside of Sydney. I spent a lot of time in Marrickville, where I lived, Newtown, Erskineville and Balmain. Each neighborhood has its own personality. The homey area I stayed in in Brisbane was totally different than downtown and Fortitude Valley.

Friends

I never expected to make such good friends there. I guess I thought I would be a transient being, traveling from one place to another and picking up and losing people along the way. Instead, I stayed in Sydney for over six months, met friendly travel bloggers at Sydney Travel Massive (like Hannah and Lauren above!), lovely foreigners at work and sweet Aussie ladies who became my roommates. And of course, I had support from Tommy and his family.

So now for those things I don’t miss about Australia. There had to be a few!

Expensive

This is the top thing people comment about when visiting Australia. Since the dollar is about even, everything seems outrageously expensive, like $7 for a beer and $750 for a tiny apartment 30 minutes outside Sydney. It wasn’t so bad once I started working, as there are ways to keep things thrifty, but starting out it was very stressful.

Distance

Being so far away from my family was hard since we’re so close and it’s not like hopping on a place to Europe. Australia is about as remote as it gets. And even within Australia, the distances are vast. The trip from Sydney to Cairns, even though I took my sweet time, took over a month by bus. Flights to Perth cost about the same as flights from New York to Los Angeles. Even though Sydney and Melbourne look close together on the map, it’s a grueling 8 hour drive.

Unreliable Public Transportation

Although I said that I liked the public transportation, it was almost always late (Or was that just my line? Bankstown? Bueller?). The trains stopped running at midnight, when I got off work, and after that buses run only every hour and don’t stop as close to my house, meaning I had to walk the rest of the way, alone, in the dark, late at night. Most of the time if I wanted to go out for a drink after work, I would have to fork out the $40 for a cab home.

No Late Night Options

There are a few things that stay open past 2 am, namely night clubs, casinos and bars with pokies, but there aren’t many places you can go eat after a night out. You’ve got kebab stands, but no diners to speak of. And as I said before, public transportation is almost non-existent past midnight.

Crappy Internet

I was warned about Australia’s WiFi problems before arriving, but I thought, “How bad can it be?” But really. Free WiFi can be found in a few places (Starbucks, McDonalds, Pie Face), but is super slow. Even the internet at my house took over a month to get installed and was still patchy. I’ve never had problems finding decent internet in any other place I’ve traveled!

Feeling like I was always underdressed

This could easily be in my head or just a Sydney thing, but after work when I wanted to go for a drink, I felt like a homeless person in my jeans and tank top. I felt out of place without short skirts, pounds of makeup, stilletos and straightened hair. Even when I walked to the store to pick up milk I felt like a slob, whereas I never would have worried about it back home.

With that said, I really loved my year in Australia and wouldn’t change a thing about it. I will definitely be back some day. Do you agree or disagree with any of these?

I came across old photos on my hard drive and couldn’t help but share them. I miss these spur of the moment road trips I used to take around the South and am looking to re-live them.

In summer of 2006, my friend Christine and I went to visit our other friend Elizabeth at Auburn University. I remember getting lemonade from Toomer’s Corner to cool down from the August heat.

Alabama gets a bad rap, by myself included, but Auburn is a fun little town if you know a student or alum there.

It’s all very Old South, with buildings dating back hundreds of years and families with every generation of students attending the university. And that doesn’t even mention the Auburn football reputation. Samford Hall, above, is the most famous landmark.

After a fun few days hanging out at a university before school started, it was time to go home to prepare for my own move to Charleston.

But not before stopping to buy some of the “good” fireworks that aren’t sold in Georgia!

For more Photo Friday fun check out Delicious Baby.