From Disaster to Surprise in Siena

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Caroline

It started with the words you never want to hear: “I’m sorry but we seem to have overbooked. We don’t have a room for you.” I was traveling by train through Italy with my parents, sisters and grandmother in the summer of 2006 for Sammi‘s Sweet 16 trip. So far we had good luck, in Venice and Florence, but it could only last so long.

Ours ran up at the front desk of the Hotel Garden in Siena. We all looked at each other, thinking “Now what?” While we waited for the hotel staff to come to a resolution, we had lunch in the hotel restaurant. The worst case scenarios ran through my mind: taking the cab back to Siena to look for another hotel, finding them all to be booked and taking the train back to Florence, hoping for better luck.

Thankfully, we were given a different option. The owner of the hotel would let us stay at his private villa further out of town for the next two nights and send someone to cook our breakfast in the morning. When the taxi pulled into the driveway of this house, I knew we had received the better end of the bargain. It was on the terraced slopes of the Tuscan countryside, with nothing but trees and fields as far as the eye could see. It came equipped with a swimming pool, although it wasn’t yet warm enough for a dip, as well as four bedrooms and as many bathrooms.

Apologies for the low quality scans

This was more than we ever could have imagined after hearing the hotel was overbooked. The only problem arose when we went into Siena to sightsee. We had to call a taxi large enough to carry us all and then call another when we wished to leave. The next morning when we woke up, an Italian woman had prepared what looked like a breakfast feast for 20, not a family of six. Tropical fruits, fresh bread, eggs and even some items I didn’t recognize were spread across the table. It took us no time to dig in, laughing at our good fortune.

While I’m usually the one with bad luck when I travel, this experience taught me that positive things can come from negative circumstances.

Have you ever had an overbooked hotel or flight? What was the outcome?

Posted in Europe, Italy, nightmares, Siena | Leave a comment

Making Travel a Priority in College

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Caroline

The question I am asked most often in reference to my blog and lifestyle in general is, “How are you able to travel so much? I wish I could do that.” It’s mostly people from high school or college who maybe had one study abroad experience and that was the extent of their travels. I always give the same answer: I made it a priority. You may have bought a new car, rented a nice apartment or sensibly saved up for retirement. I chose to spend my winter and summer breaks abroad. I’m sure it will come back to bite me in the ass, but as for now, I’m content with my choices. So if you’re in college, or even if you’re not, here are my tips on how you can make travel happen.

I had been on a few international trips when I left for college. In December of my freshman year, my friend Christine and I signed up for a tour with EF College Break to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. After that trip, I made one nearly every year. The next trip was to London and Ireland independently before Croatia after graduation. I considered study abroad, but the idea of having to go to class while the whole world is outside my classroom door didn’t sound realistic.

Why Now?

People often get sucked into the mentality of “I can always travel later.” Yes, you might, but you might not. More often than not, you will find some job that pays most of the bills and an apartment you’ve settled into and then it becomes much less feasible.

No Ties

Being in college means you probably don’t have a family to support. You don’t have big, scary things like a mortgage holding you down. As people always tell me, “Now is the time to do it.”

Education

Traveling only adds to your well-rounded education you’re getting. You can see the paintings you’re studying in art history in person, experience the financial crisis in Europe firsthand instead of hearing about it in economics or intern at an international firm you might one day like to work for.

Cheap

As a student, you get all sorts of deals on everything from flights to food to hostels. And oh yeah, most students don’t mind staying in hostels because they’re not much better than college dorm rooms.

Breaks

The best time to travel is on winter break because destinations are far less crowded, not to mention that it’s the Northern hemisphere low season, making everything cheaper. Summer isn’t a bad time either because once you start a job you only get two weeks vacation (assuming you’re working in the US).

Photo Credit: Jana Loewen

How Can I Do This?

Volunteering

Most colleges and universities organize Alternative Spring Break trips in which students give up any party plans in favor of building houses and helping out in communities. Other volunteer projects can be found through Voluntrippin, which reviews them.

Teaching English

Companies like i to i offer online TEFL certification, so you can be getting your certificate while you’re in school. Once you have it, you can get jobs after graduation in nearly any country in the world. You are also more likely to get placed in countries with better benefits, like paid vacation time.

Study Abroad

Easily the most common option, students study abroad in semester long and summer programs. Some universities even let you study with other partner universities abroad. Find out what trips your school offers, what classes it accepts for credit and check out GoOverseas for reviews of your chosen program. You could also get your school to sponsor your travels, like the SMU Travel Bug program did.

WWOOFing

You can spend anywhere from two weeks to a few months working for your food and accommodation on farms all over the world with Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Job requirements vary from farm to farm. Yearly membership is $40 and grants you access to searching for farms and contacting owners.

Working Holidays

Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland all have working holiday schemes with the US where travelers can spend a year working and traveling in the country. Popular jobs include farm work, bartending and au pairing. Visas last for a year and let you work for six months at a time. Some offer two years, but you could stay for as long as your schedule allows.

Where Do I Begin?

Compiling information can definitely be overwhelming, but here’s where I recommend you start.

Study Abroad Office

Even if you aren’t studying abroad, the office has great resources, like the ISIC card, which offers travelers currently enrolled in accredited colleges and universities discounts on everything from museums to food to tours.

Blogs and Websites

Travel blogs are the new guidebooks and there are so many good ones out there. Student Travelog, RTW Backpackers and Do It While You’re Young are a few of my favorites, but you can find LOTS more on my links page.

Travel Agencies

Sites like STA Travel and Student Universe offer great discounts on flights, tours and accomodation for students and travelers under the age of 26. If nothing else, you can see what tours they recommend and follow the route your own way. Also look into STA’s World Traveler Internship, in which they pay for your trip around the world!

How Should I Travel?

You might not be comfortable traveling on your own right away and choose to go with a tour group. Or you might think you can do it cheaper if you plan it yourself.

Tours

For my first overseas trip without my family, my friend and I went with EF College Break because we didn’t feel like planning the trip ourselves. Other student and under 30 travel companies include Contiki, probably the most popular, BusAbout, who I traveled to Croatia with, and Trek America. Pros for tour travel include having most costs paid for before you leave, an expert who knows each city’s background and not having to organize flights and accomodation. You also have a set group of people to hang out with. Cons include visiting tourist traps like diamond factories and nightclubs that give the tour operators kickbacks.

Independent

Since my first initial trip, I’ve done most of my travels independently. I’ve found that I have more flexibility by booking my own flights and hostels and I can avoid overrated attractions. I can also cut costs if I am running low, which you can’t do with tours. But on the flip side, some people may not like the hostel atmosphere and find it difficult to meet people. I recommend CouchSurfing for both cutting costs and meeting locals. Sites like TravBuddy, Meetup and Tripping are also useful. It’s also a good idea to send an email to friends and family before you go to ask if they have any contacts in the cities you will be visiting. They may not be able to see you, but they could give you a free place to stay or a free meal.

I hope this post has at the very least made you realize how easy student travel can be. If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me.

Now get out there!

Posted in backpacking, blog, postgrad, travel | 9 Comments

A Day in the Life: Peace Corps Volunteer

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Caroline

I wanted this series to be semi-regular, but that didn’t exactly happen. But don’t worry, now I’m back with a terrific interview from  hilarious Peace Corps alumna and blogger Melanie Chamberlain. The Peace Corps has a long history of volunteers and I briefly considered it as a postgraduate option myself. But I think a lot of people have inaccurate perceptions about the organization and I asked Melanie to clear a few things up. Some of my favorites of her post are about post-Peace Corps job interviews, the stages of grief, and what’s it’s like to be a bitch in Senegal.

  • Name: Melanie Chamberlain aka a girl with gumption
  • Location (current or where you volunteered, or both): I was placed in Kedougou, a small town in the southeast corner of Senegal. What you’ve never heard of it? There’s no place more hipper north of the Fuuta Jallon and south of the Niokolo Koba Park. Seriously? You still have no idea what I am talking about? Shesh, you should bone-up on your obscure West African geography.
  • Job Title: United States Peace Corps Volunteer (or as the locals preferred “That Sassy White Girl Who Speaks Pulaar”)

How did you decide that you wanted to join the Peace Corps? After college graduation I found myself looking for intern/volunteer experiences abroad. I wanted to live in a foreign country, gain work experience and learn a new language. At one point I was googling “Peace Corps alternatives” and then wondered to myself, “why don’t I just apply to the Peace Corps?”

I filled out the application but was facing so much self-doubt that I never actually thought I would join. I thought I wasn’t brave enough, adventurous enough, or committed enough to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. I went in for my first interview and the Peace Corps recruiter agreed. She told me I wasn’t “Peace Corps material” and that was all I needed to hear… it was her surly doubt of my capabilities that finally convinced me that joining the Peace Corps was EXACTLY what I wanted to do. At least that’s what I think it was… I might have just joined to prove her wrong. Who knows?

It took 5 interviews and 4 months before I finally received a nomination—and another 6 months before I got my invitation to serve in Senegal. Long wait. But worth it.

As I was finishing my last days in Senegal I sent my recruiter a postcard. The only thing I wrote was “Turns out, I am Peace Corps material. Thanks for not believing in me. Peace only, Melanie.”

I’m sure Peace Corps really wants to feature this inspiring story in their next recruitment ad…

How did you choose which destinations you wanted to volunteer in? Did you get your first choice? Peace Corps places volunteers in assignments that best match their skills and experience. You can state during the application process your regions of preference—but you DON’T get to choose. Most recruiters will reject your application if you are not completely flexible, which seems harsh, but honestly if you want to commit 2 years of your life to grassroots development work you should be open to working wherever in the world you are needed most, right?

There is no possible way to predict where your particular set of skills will lead you. Most of my work and volunteer background was with NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and English education, so I assumed I would be assigned a position teaching English or working on community development. But I also had 4 years of college French and grew up on a farm.

Despite my doubts—I was given an assignment as an agriculture volunteer in the former French colony of Senegal. While my work assignment wasn’t what I expected, I was delighted to be going to Senegal, a country I almost studied abroad in during my sophomore year of college (I choose the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus instead—in college Greek raki and halloumi proved to be more enticing than white rice and Gazelle beer, go figure.)

Why is the Peace Corps a good postgraduate option? Peace Corps is a great way to get your foot in the door if you are interested in working for a NGO or for the US government. You get non-competitive eligibility after you return which will make it much easier to get a government job. You can defer federal education loans (unfortunately because of the financial environment getting private lenders to defer your loans is much more difficult). Also it is kinda like joining an exclusive club. Or at least I pretend it is. I’m always name dropping famous Peace Corps Volunteers like Bob Villa and Chris Matthews. Okay maybe “famous” isn’t the right word to use…

What is your daily routine in the Peace Corps like? In the Peace Corps every day is different and exciting. Some volunteers make their own schedules others have more traditional work hours, but either way each day is an adventure. It is incredibly exhilarating but also very exhausting. I’ve never slept as well as I did when I was in Senegal.Personally, I spent a lot of days just sitting at home, gossiping with my moms and sisters, playing with the little kids and watching episodes of Top Chef on my dust-covered netbook.

Personally, I spent a lot of days just sitting at home, gossiping with my moms and sisters, playing with the little kids and watching episodes of Top Chef on my dust-covered netbook.

Other days I would be biking around like crazy hopping from a government office to a farmer’s field to the market to price out local produce and then to the hospital to visit sick members of my HIV/AIDS support group.

And then of course I spent a good amount of time sitting in a big plastic tub filled with bags of ice and drinking cheap Senegalese beer. But let’s not tell the American taxpayers about that last part…

Who is the Peace Corps NOT for? People who want to make money… people who want indoor plumbing… people who are scared of bugs…  recovering alcoholics… Ok, in all seriousness, one of the great misconceptions about Peace Corps is that you get to travel a lot.  Not true at all!  Sure you get vacation days (2 days per month) but you are paid at a local level—less than $5 a day will not get you far in West Africa, let alone anywhere else (and trust me after living in the developing world you are going to want to go anywhere else).  Of course some volunteers can save some money–I did. I saved enough for a 2 week trip to Mali and a plane ticket to Paris but my parents footed the bill for all my expenses once I got to Europe.

That being said, you will gain a deep understanding of the people and cultures in the country you serve.  Most volunteers get the opportunity to see quite a bit of their host country while attending various Peace Corps meetings and trainings and visiting their Peace Corps friends in other regions.

Also despite what people may think, Peace Corps is not for people who want to “change the world.” Peace Corps has three goals: Help the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women, help promote a better understanding of Americans abroad and help promote a better understanding of other people in the USA.  Your job as a volunteer isn’t to “change” anyone or anything–your job is to “understand.” It is the hope that with mutual understanding and trust the volunteer can eventually help the community they serve.

What have you learned from being a Peace Corps volunteer? So much.  There is the concrete. I’ve learned a new language.  I’ve learned how to write a grant, and how to manage a large budget.  I’ve learned how to calculate agricultural crop yields. I’ve learned how to pull water from a well and repair a flat bike tire. The list goes on and on.

And then there is the abstract.  I’ve learned humility, patience and compassion. I’ve learned what it is like to be a minority, to be misunderstood, judged and underestimated.  I’ve learned what it feels like to be the object of racial hate and sexual harassment. These lessons are the ones that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Pros? Every day is an adventure.  You get to experience a different culture in a way that no outsider ever could.  You forge lifetime bonds with the people in your community and your fellow volunteers.

Cons? Peace Corps calls it “the toughest job you will ever love.” And nothing could be more true.  Life as a volunteer is rewarding but it is really, really hard.  It is emotionally overwhelming and physically draining. It tears at your heart and breaks your spirit.  The work you do as a volunteer has life changing implications for your community and that’s a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone a 22-year-old recent college graduate.

Do you need certifications/knowledge to volunteer? The Peace Corps has various sectors where volunteers are placed including: Education, Youth and Community Development, Agriculture, Environment, Health and Business and Information & Communication Technology.

Each sector has its own minimum requirements for work/volunteer experience. Almost all sectors require that you have a Bachelors Degree.  If you do not have a degree you must have extensive experience in your field.  Some geographical regions require language skills. (In order to be assigned anywhere in Latin America you usually need at least 2 years of college level Spanish. In French speaking Africa they prefer you have at least 1 year of college French.)

Of course there are exceptions, Peace Corps could send someone who is fluent in Spanish to the South Pacific and someone with a degree in Art History could end up teaching computer skills.  It all depends.

Additional advice or information? You can find more info about the Peace Corps on their official site. If you want to read about the shenanigans of a barely lucid, quasi-alcoholic girl living in a thatched roof hut in sub-Saharan Africa then you should check out my blog.

Thanks Melanie! Is there another interview you’d like to see here? Would you like to tell others about your experiences teaching English, volunteering or another non-traditional postgraduate role? Send me an email. 

Posted in jobs, postgrad, student, travel | 5 Comments

Support Local Arts at Home and Abroad

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Caroline

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This month, I lost a place that was very dear to me, a second home of sorts. Theatre in the Square, a community theater in my hometown of Marietta, Georgia, closed its doors after 30 years. I spent four years of my life in their Teen Ensemble, where I studied drama under director Susan Reid, met some of my best friends and got to see productions like Sanders Family Christmas, a local favorite. The theater just couldn’t survive the recession.

I was gutted to hear this news because I know how important it is to support your local arts, whether “local” means your hometown or in the cities you visit. I also got to see Rick Steves at the Georgia Public Broadcasting studios and Frances Mayes at the Atlanta History Center. I enjoyed these community events because they bring together common interests and are inexpensive.

If you’re a visitor in a new city, the arts are the best and cheapest way to understand that place. Most museums are free with tickets for special exhibits. Theaters, the symphony and the ballet typically have discounted tickets for students and matinee performances. Bars with live music and comedy shows also make for a cheap night out.

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For cheap local arts events in Atlanta, check out what’s going on at the Woodruff Center for the Arts, which is the umbrella group fro the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the High Museum of Art. For comedy, check out The Punchline or Funny Farm. For ballet, the Atlanta Ballet is the South’s premier dance company.

So get out there and support your local arts!

Posted in art, Atlanta, free, Georgia | Leave a comment

Surfers Paradise on the Cheap

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Caroline

It’s Australia’s version of Las Vegas, the sinful Adult Disneyland. Where the meter maids wear gold bikinis and the bartenders work in their underwear. I’m talking about none other than Surfers Paradise in Queensland. I know I mentioned it before back when I was there but since it was rainy for 90% of my time there, it was hard to get the full “paradise” experience. It’s a place you can spend a ton of money easily if you go all out on hotels (Palazzo Versace anyone?), theme parks, gambling and clubbing.

Theme Parks

The Meter Maids

Credit: Flickr user Jin-Tao

While Surfers Paradise is known for its theme parks, Movieworld, Dreamworld, Seaworld and the dozens of others, tickets usually start at $80 and don’t fit into the backpacker budget. Two park passes help you break up the costs. Visiting in the off season can also decrease costs, not to mention cut wait times.

Dining

Steak and Chips

Credit: Flickr user Simon Welsh

Since most hostels offer at least basic breakfasts, make lunch the bigger meal of the day. The casinos, like Vegas in Paradise, offer cheap lunch specials, like $10 for a steak, side and drink, which is reasonable for Australian standards. Buffets are also common if you can eat that much food. Otherwise, go to Coles or Woolworths to cook yourself meals.

Sleeping

Stay further out of town. I stayed at Aquarius Backpackers in Southport and while it was cheaper, there’s also the problem of getting back and forth from downtown. They did, however, have a courtesy vehicle, which was helpful.

Drinking

Clubbing is the name of the game in Surfers, but between entry fees and overpriced drinks, it adds up quickly. Everything is over the top. But thankfully, there are a few money saving tips to keep you from blowing your entire travel budget.

Club promoters hand out vouchers for free club entry, saving you around $5-10. You can usually find them on The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise Boulevard or at the mall.

Ladies drink for free for at least one night per week. When I went to Vanity, all the drinks were half shots, so by the time you finished one drink, you needed to already be in line for another to even feel a buzz. Just remember that many of these clubs have dress codes, meaning no flip flops or sloppy attire.

Pregame before you go out to save some money. Goon, cheap boxed wine with dubious contents like fish products, may offer the worst hangovers, but offer the most drunk for your buck. Oh fruity lexia… Pub crawls also give drink discounts and free entry into the clubs, as well as offering transportation between venues.

Have you been to Surfers Paradise? What are your budget tips?

Posted in Australia, backpacking, cheap, Surfers Paradise | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Civil Rights Tour of the South

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Caroline

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.– Martin Luther King Jr.

We start our tour in Atlanta, Georgia, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and where much of his work was done. In the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, you will find the National Park Service’s Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Center, which has exhibits on his life and the civil rights movement. The center houses the wagon that carried his coffin and was pulled by donkeys through the streets of Atlanta during his funeral.

The NPS also runs tours of the adjacent Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King and his father both preached, and is still a functioning church. You can take tours through the sanctuary, which looks very much as it did when the Kings were members.


Down Auburn Avenue lies Dr. King’s birth home, which guests can also tour, but you must reserve a spot at the King Center. Tickets are free. The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change holds the crypts of both King and his wife Coretta Scott King (see above). The center has a few outdated exhibits upstairs, with King’s Grammy for Best Spoken Word Performance (who knew?) and artifacts from Gandhi and Rosa Parks. The nearby Curbside Market is also worth exploring.

Eight hours away in Memphis, Tennessee, you can see where Martin Luther King Jr.’s life was tragically cut short by assassin James Earl Ray‘s bullet. King’s room at the Lorraine Motel has a wreath hanging on the door and the hotel has now been transformed into the National Civil Rights Museum.

Four hours south takes us to the most notable sites of the Civil Rights Movement. Birmingham, Alabama was home to the tragic bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church, which killed three four young girls, as well as boycotts against separate eating facilities and the writing of King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.” The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was created to document the city’s importance in the movement. It also hosts special events and exhibitions, like the current photography exhibit, “Living in Limbo: Lesbian Families in the Deep South.”

Nearby Montgomery, an hour and a half further, was the starting point of the bus boycotts when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the city bus. It is also home to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Civil Rights Memorial, which is dedicated to those who died in the struggle for equal rights for all. It was created by Maya Lin, who also designed the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC.

Also Worth Seeing

Washington DC

  • National Mall: Site of King’s famous I Have A Dream speech, the view from the Lincoln Memorial lets you see the capitol from King’s perspective.

If You Go

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site, 450 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30312, 404-331-6922
    • Free admission
    • Open 9 am-5 pm in winter, 9 am-6 pm in summer, every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years days
  • Ebenezer Baptist Church, 449 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30312, 404-526-8900
    • Free admission
    • Open daily with same hours as historic site, services on Sunday at 7:45 and 11 am
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home, address, 404-331-6922
    • Free admission
    • Hours are the same as the historic site. You must reserve tickets for the park ranger-led tour ahead of time at the King Center
  • The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, 449 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30312, 404-526-8900
    • Free admission
    • Open 7 days a week, 9 am-5 pm
  • National Civil Rights Museum, 450 Mulberry Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103, 901-521-9699,
    • Admission $13 for adults
    • Open Monday, Wednesday through Saturday from 9 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm, Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years days
  • Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 520 16th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, 205-328-9696
    • Admission $12 for adults
    • Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm
  • Montgomery Civil Rights Memorial, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104,
    • Admission is $2 for adults
    • Memorial open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Visitor’s center open Monday to Friday from 9 am-4:30 pm, Saturday 10 am-4 pm

See also: Alabama Civil Rights Trail.

Posted in Atlanta, Georgia, Memphis, South, Tennessee | 1 Comment

Travel Writing Round Up [April 2012]

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Caroline

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 $30 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.

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.”

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.

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

  • *Guest Blogger, Go with Oh: Sherry Ott was last year’s winner, and this year’s winner plus a friend will be visiting four European cities, staying in vacation rentals and blogging about their experiences.
  • *National Geographic Traveler/Matador Network Storyteller: There are four categories you can enter in: blog, magazine article, video and photo essay. The winners will be invited to the National Geographic headquarters in Washington DC to speak with the editorial staff, hotel and airfare for the event, as well as a one year subscription to the magazine.
  • *Travel Editor/Producer, The Palm Beach Post: “The Palm Beach Post is looking for a travel editor/online producer for FloridaGoGo, a new Florida travel website. The best candidate will assign and/or create engaging content and produce it in a dynamic way that drives audience and revenue goals. Proven editing and producing skills mandatory. Passion for the subject of Florida travel a plus. Must be able to pull together content from a variety of sources and edit and produce quickly for maximum impact.”
  • *Videographer, Viator.com: “Viator is embarking on one of its most exciting projects to date: we’re offering four people the chance to win the travel assignment of a lifetime! Between May and July 2012 we’re sending 4 people to shoot video in top cities across Europe and North America.  We’re looking for travelers who love to shoot video, as well as aspiring and experienced filmmakers. Prior film experience is a bonus, but not required. What matters most is your excitement, creativity, and passion for travel!”
  • World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship 2012: World Nomads wants to send an aspiring travel writer to Southeast Asia to learn from leaders in the field. In Singapore you will work with Rough Guides, in Indonesia you will work with Travelfish and in Malaysia you will go on a food odyssey! Apply by April 23.
  • *Paid Intern, Travel Sex Life: This controversial new website from My Spanish Adventures’ Will Peach is looking for an intern to generate content and help with the SEO and social media portions of the site.

Inspiration

  • Stages of Grief: Peace Corps Edition, A Girl With Gumption: Melanie’s hilarious blog is about her two years in Senegal. Now that her time with the Peace Corps is over, she’s dealing with it in different ways.
  • Homeward Bound, Grace what are you doing?: I never knew that “hobo” is short for “homeward bound.” Grace writes that we’re all homeward bound, even if we don’t know where home is yet, as she returns from her time in Malaga, Spain.
  • An Open Letter to Twenty-Somethings in America, Backpacking Matt: I myself am a twentysomething in America and couldn’t find Matt’s advice to be any more true. That’s part of why I went to Australia in the first place.

Helpful Links

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

  • Writers Weekly, an e-zine with freelance listings, as well as other resources for writers
  • Freelance Writing Gigs, another weekly listing of freelance opportunities in all fields, including copywriting, ghost writing, journalism and blogging
  • Media Bistro, the go-to site for all things media, with classes on everything from InDesign to PR to travel writing, as well as job listings and “how to pitch to” guides
  • Journalism Jobs has listings for all ranges of journalism, from the small town newspaper to the Associated Press
  • Media Kitty brings together PR and travel journalists for what they call “trippy journalism,” with job listings, press releases and press trip announcements

Now get writing.

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Posted in jobs, travel, writing | Tagged | 4 Comments

My Travel Scrapbooks

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Caroline

I know how it sounds. Scrapbooking is for soccer moms or retired women. But I’ve been scrapbooking since I was in elementary school, somewhat sporadically. I save everything from ticket stubs to business cards to receipts from my travels, all to put into a scrapbook once I’ve gotten home. It’s my way of remembering as much of the trip as I possibly can. I have this fear that one day I won’t be able to remember my life, which is probably why I scrapbook, journal, blog and take photos of everything I can.

The first trip I scrapbooked was my very first trip overseas to Paris when I was fourteen. It’s embarrassing to look back on my photos from that trip, with capri pants and kinked hair. But it was 2002, so I hope my style has improved since then. Everything has improved, from my photography skills (back then it was a Kodak disposable camera) to my methods of scrapbooking. But I recall taking pictures of everything because Paris was unlike anywhere I had ever seen growing up in suburban Georgia.

Two years later, we took a trip to London for my sixteenth birthday. We hit all the touristy landmarks, including the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace. It was this trip that made me fall in love with London and for that reason it’s the city in Europe I’ve visited the most times.

I visited New York many times, but this particular trip was one summer when I had big dreams of Columbia University. We brought our family friend Joy with us, shopping on Canal Street and checking out Madame Tussaud’s.

The next summer, we took two more friends to Chicago, where we tried to see the city Ferris Bueller-style. We saw them filming the movie Roll Bounce while we were at the Museum of Science and Industry. I loved riding the ferris wheel at Navy Pier and I’m not ashamed to admit that I had fun at the American Girl Cafe.

The summer that I visited Washington DC for the National Student Leadership Conference, I devoted an entire scrapbook to the experience. I loved visiting the sights of our nation’s capital while meeting students from all over the country and getting my first taste of politics. It was this conference that led me to study political science in college.

Once I got home from Australia, I knew I would want to do something for that trip, but the idea of narrowing down ten months of travel into one book was daunting. I got my favorite pictures printed off, compiled all the brochures and ticket stubs I had saved and  tried to make each page representative of the feel of that destination. The Melbourne page is artsy and the Byron Bay page is hippie.

These scrapbooks are something I’m proud of because I can physically show them to people who ask about my trip. It also allows a certain level of creativity on my part.

How do you document your travels?

Posted in Australia, postcards, travel | 3 Comments

Three Years of Caroline in the City

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Caroline

It must be that time of year because in the past week I’ve read about Everything Everywhere‘s 5 year travel anniversary and the two year blog anniversaries of Over Yonderlust and LandLopers. And here I am, at my three year anniversary of my first, albeit boring, post on Caroline in the City. On my first blog anniversary, I was sitting in the front row of a fashion show at Charleston Fashion Week. On my second blog anniversary, I was working in Sydney, Australia. This year, I am going to see travel writer Frances Mayes speak about her new book, The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, at the Atlanta History Center. Things just keep getting better and better each year and I can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for me and this website.

In the last year

Blog wise

  • 33,364 page views in 2011, which is way up from 2,337 in 2010
  • 93 blog posts
  • 1,353 Twitter followers
  • 259 Facebook fans
  • I started a semi-monthly newsletter
  • 963,490 global Alexa ranking

The Blogging Nitty Gritty

Travel wise

  • 1 country, Australia, covering 6 states and territories
  • 8 states in the USA, including Hawaii, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas
  • was overseas continuously for ten months, my longest trip to date

Life wise

  • I made some amazing friends while in Australia, some involved in the blogging community and some not
  • I bungy jumped from a 162 food (50 meter) platform in Cairns, Australia
  • I received my open water scuba diving certification in the Great Barrier Reef
  • I returned home to Georgia to start job hunting before my next adventure
  • I became a contributor for Her Packing List as well as being published on Matador Network, World Nomads and the Flight Centre UK blog, among others

In the next year

  • redesign blog to suit my personality
  • visit friends in Germany and Austria
  • expand freelance writing career

And to thank my lovely readers, my “blog evangelists,” if you will, I’m running a giveaway from the nice folks at PrintRunner. I’m giving away 100 5×7 inch postcards with the design of your choosing! And they’re also giving me a set of postcards to send thank you notes to you guys for reading. PrintRunner is your convenient online printing services resource. Check out their site and print postcards. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook. Need ideas for what to put on them? How about your blog’s logo or your favorite travel photos? They are ideal for sending friends while you’re traveling or as a thank you note for a Couch Surfing host.

The fine print: This giveaway is open only to US residents aged 18 and older. Postcards are 4/0 front only printing on 14 pt. UV coating on front with rounded corners. They will be ready to ship in 4 business days, without a proof. I will pick a random commenter using random.org, who will be the winner of the giveaway.

*Disclaimer: I received these products from the sponsor of the giveaway without compensation, but was provided a set of free postcards of my own. As always, my opinions are my own. 

Like what you read? You should subscribe to Caroline in the City for your RSS reader of choice or join my monthly newsletter, which goes out at the beginning of each month.

Posted in Australia, backpacking, blog, USA | 4 Comments

Interview with Travel Guru Rick Steves

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Caroline

Some people freak out at the idea of interviewing their favorite celebrities, like Brad Pitt or Kate Hudson. I, however, turned my stomach into knots when I was given the chance to interview one of my idols, Rick Steves. I’ve been watching his PBS show for as long as I can remember and couldn’t put down Travel as a Political Act. His guidebooks are what first got me interested in Croatia and how my family found our favorite restaurant in Florence. They have reached millions of people and are now available in e-book form.

The television and radio host, guidebook author, NORML advocate and 2011 Society of American Travel Writers Travel Journalist of the Year gave me a few minutes of his time to answer some of my most lingering travel questions.

Q: The topic of your lecture in Atlanta is “Europe Through the Back Door.” Why do you think your Europe on a budget philosophy still resonates with so many people even thirty years later? 

A: Oh, it’s this fundamental thing that people, the less you spend, the more vivid your experience is. The more people you’ll meet. The more you’ll learn. The more you get out of your comfort zone. That all contributes to a better trip. These days Americans have seen the famous places but they’re looking for experiences. The way we talk about traveling is mostly experiences.

Q: Most of my readers are backpackers. As someone who got their start backpacking, what is your top tip for first time backpackers in Europe?

A: Have a cell phone or some way to be mobile and online. That’s pretty important these days. Equip yourself with good information and expect it to work. Then you can be a smart traveler. And recognize that your time is really valuable. On a tight budget, your time is worth a lot so you don’t want to be wasting time in line needlessly. I would say there’s two IQs of European travelers: those who wait in lines and those who don’t.

Q: Why do you think it is so important to support public broadcasting, because I know the event in Atlanta supports Georgia Public Television? 

A: Media is a huge power in shaping our perception and so on and it shapes our worldview more than ever. So public broadcasting is, well, media is more important than ever to shape people’s perspectives and the problems confronting us these days are more complicated than ever. So we need media but public media is the only media that I believe respects our intelligence and assumes an attention span and brings us programming not shaped by corporate interests. But shaped by a passion for understanding our world better.

Q: Speaking of the media, do you think the way the media’s sensationalizes the events in “dangerous” places like Iran, Mexico and Egypt will have a permanent effect on the tourism industries? 

A: I don’t really care about the tourism industry, I just care about being invested in regards to the value of the media. News in most cases is entertainment masquerading as news. In the days of Walter Cronkite, network news was not profitable, it just didn’t need to make money. It was part of their responsibility as journalists to give us straight news. Now news has become entertainment. So I find it entertaining, I love watching it, but I don’t let it determine what my world outlook is.

Q: Which brings me to your book Travel as a Political Act, which I really enjoyed because it encourages travelers to seek out experiences like you had in these destinations. Why was that an important message for you? 

A: As a travel teacher, people look to me for, you know, advice on how to travel and I’ve learned over thirty years my teaching is evolved, kind of like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, from budget tricks to appreciating European culture to getting a broader perspective. And now I know the most important message to take home is that worldview, that broader perspective, and that’s travel as a political act. So that book was named travel guide of the year last year by the Society of American Travel Writers, which I’m really proud of because it’s an acknowledgement by the travel writing community in general that there is a real important function of travel and that is to get out of our comfort zone and to better empathize with the other 96 percent of humanity. And then when we come home, we Americans can help our country fit better into this even smaller planet. So that’s really important to me as I travel. And I see a lot of fear in our society these days and it’s really clear to me that fear is for people who don’t get out very much. When you travel you realize the side of fear is understanding and you gain understanding if you travel. And going back to public television, I think public television helps you get out a little more too, which is, I think, really helpful.

Mr. Steves is giving his “Europe Through the Back Door” lecture for two nights in Atlanta at the Georgia Public Broadcasting studios. Tickets are $35 for non-members and the event starts at 7:30 p.m. on March 20 and 21. If you’re not in Atlanta, check out his website to find out where he will be closest to your city. A big thank you to Rick Steves for this interview.

Like what you read? You should subscribe to Caroline in the City for your RSS reader of choice or join my monthly newsletter, which goes out at the beginning of each month.

Posted in backpacking, Europe, travel, writing | 2 Comments