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Top five things to do in my hometown of Portland, ME, USA

May 16, 2012 in United States of America

Although people don’t usually think of Maine when they hear the name, Portland, Maine has a lot to offer despite its small size. Visitors should make sure to do these five things:

Eat

In 2009 a nationally-syndicated food magazine named Portland the “Foodiest Small Town in America”, and for good reason. The state of Maine has a long-running dedication to fresh, local ingredients. Of course, the fact that the city is located so close to the ocean is used to its fullest advantage; it is easy to access some of the freshest and least-expensive seafood in the country. Everything from oysters, mussels, clams, and the world-famous Maine lobster.

Just one of the tasty snacks available

In addition to the delicious seafood, Maine also utilizes its resources in fresh produce: sweetcorn, potatoes, and fiddleheads run rampant, and most restaurants proudly display signs indicating that all food is Maine-made. But apart from the delicious ingredients, Portland’s restaurant scene is famous for using these foods to create highly original dishes. Alongside the classic diners are Mexican and Asian-fusion restaurants that take creative liberties with traditional ingredients in order to make highly unique dishes.

Drink beer

There's a lot of beer on offer

American beer has developed a bad reputation worldwide, but that’s probably because most international travellers don’t make the pilgrimage up to Maine. The state of Maine has more breweries than almost any other state in the US; and the majority of Portland’s breweries are small and do not distribute very far. However, most of them are very friendly and happy to show people around in order to show off their brewing techniques and unique recipes.

If sampling local American beer is not your thing, there is also an incredible amount of imported beer shipped from all around the world. Novare Res Bier Cafe serves beer from that has been tracked down from some of the best locations in the world including Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, and England.

Watch a game

Maine is dubbed “Vacationland” for its nearly-perfect summer atmosphere, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the number-one sport to watch is the classic summer pastime: baseball. The Portland Sea Dogs, a minor-league team associated with the Boston Red Sox, play all summer long. Because of the relaxed atmosphere and a stadium which is large for the size of the city, tickets to a baseball game do not need to be reserved in advance and can run fairly cheap.

Portland Museum of Art

Even after the summer has ended it’s still easy to take in a professional sports match; the Portland Pirates (Maine’s local minor league hockey team), and the Maine Red Claws (the local basketball team), play games throughout the winter.

Take in the art scene

Like all other major sites in Maine, the Portland Art Museum places special emphasis on locally-produced works. However, the Museum also houses works by Picasso, Renoir, Winslow Homer and Rockwell Kent. If you don’t want to pay an entrance fee you can wander down to the Arts District which is full of great galleries and quirky antique shops.

Take a ferry to one of the local islands

Take advantage of the famous Maine coastline and catch a ferry to one of the local islands. Once you’ve arrived, talk a walk or a bike ride around to see some beautiful scenery and even more local art. Bring a picnic to eat on the beach, explore some of the tide pools, or just swim around in the Atlantic Ocean. There’s really no wrong way to spend a day on an island in Maine.

Tips

Maine is one of the more remote areas of the United States, so public transportation is an option but not an easy one. The best idea is to rent a car, especially if you want to explore more of Maine’s natural landscape.

Maine weather is notoriously fickle, so bring a sweater with you wherever you go just in case.

If you’re ever lost or need advice don’t be afraid to talk to the locals. Maine is a notoriously friendly place!

Tags: america, Maine, north america, portland, Portland Maine, travel in maine, travel in portland maine, united states, United States of America, US, what to do in maine, what to do in portland maine No Comments »

by Travis Ball

Ten fun things to do in Vegas

March 23, 2012 in United States of America

Las Vegas is many things to many people, which makes it a great travel destination. With a culture all of its own, the city of sin has just about everything to offer the traveller who’s willing to pay for it. While the top three reasons to visit are gambling, food and shows, there’s plenty more to do out in this desert oasis. Here are our top ten things to do in Vegas.

1. Gamble

You won’t find anywhere else in the world that offers more opportunity to gamble than Las Vegas. From one-armed bandits (a.k.a. slot machines) to the World Series of poker, and everything in between, Vegas gives you the opportunity to bet on machines, cards, dice and every sport imaginable, in real time.

As a traveller looking to gamble, you’ll find yourself somewhere on “the strip” — seven miles of street containing the biggest casinos in the world. As a general rule, the fancier the casino, the higher the minimum bets at the tables. If you want to gamble but don’t want to put as much money at risk, consider one of the “off-strip” casinos or even head downtown to where Vegas got started, and play at one of the older Vegas casinos like Binion’s Horseshoe.

Slot machines

2. Eat

You would be hard-pressed to find a city with more culinary options than Las Vegas. Each major hotel/casino offers a different buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also has multiple restaurants ranging from burger joints to Michelin-rated restaurants.

Some of my favourites include Lotus of Siam, an outstanding Thai restaurant if you’re willing to get off the strip; and Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, located in Ceasar’s Palace, which is a bit pricy but great if you’re willing to splurge. If you want to try a buffet (and you should do so at least once while you’re there), I’d suggest the dinner buffet at the Paris Casino, which serves food from five different regions of France.

Caesar's Palace

3. See a show

You simply can’t leave Vegas without having gone to a show. Whether you’re into musical acts, magicians, circus troupes or want a variety of everything, there will be something on offer that will interest you. Although the tickets aren’t necessarily cheap, the show will be amazing. I’d recommend the Penn & Teller show, or anything by Cirque de Soleil.

4. Shop

Shopping at Caesar's Palace

An important holiday activity for many travellers is shopping, and this could be considered a shopper’s paradise if ever there was one. Most of the major casinos have the equivalent of a small shopping mall under their roof, or you could visit the actual Vegas strip mall. Even if you don’t have money to spend on extravagant souvenirs, window-shopping here is like walking down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

5. Spa

Who doesn’t like a little pampering? Most of the hotels along the strip offer some form of spa package. The beauty of having options is if you don’t like what your hotel offers, or they’re full, you can usually just go next door or across the street. There are also dozens of spas off the strip as well, so don’t wait to book that massage!

6. Swim

The pools at some of the hotels are another major draw for some people. If you’ll be in Vegas while it’s hot, make sure you look at the pool options when booking your hotel. The Mandalay Bay hotel pool has a wave machine while the Hard Rock hosts a pool party on Sundays that is infamous.

7. Party

Speaking of parties, one thing on many a to-do list is to hit the clubs. There are far too many clubs available to list, with each usually offering something a little different on different nights of the week. The best bet is to do a little research into what’s available in accordance with the kind of music and scene you’re into. Don’t forget to dress the part.

8. Play golf

Vegas is really an adult playground with many options available outside of the casinos as well. One item on your list might be to spend the day at a local golf course and enjoy the Las Vegas golf scene. Some of the golf courses are so popular, they’ve hosted some big-money golf tournaments (and you’d expect nothing less from Vegas!). If the weather is nice, why not spend the day soaking up the sun before a night out on the town?

Head onto the golf course

9. Shoot

One option some friends of mine did during a bachelor party was to head to The Gun Store and fire off some guns. One of the few stores in the country that will let you “shoot a real machine gun”, this store is just one example of some of the crazy options available to you if you step outside the gambling mindset.

10. Drive

Another option for play off the strip isn’t for the faint of heart. If you’ve got the money to spend, you can rent a high-end car from Dream Car Rentals for half a day and drive the desert roads around Vegas. A Ferrari F-348 Spider will set you back $550/day, and a Lamborghini Gallardo is only $1159. Just watch out for the cops, and drive safe.

Las Vegas goodbye sign

For more on the USA, check out our USA page.

Tags: america, las vegas, Las Vegas Nevada, nevada, united states, United States of America 5 Comments »

by Craig and Linda

Explore my backyard: stories from community members

March 5, 2012 in United States of America

This week’s all about community and local travel at Indie Travel Podcast. In part one, we’re highlighting your stories from your backyard…

Travel is a wonderful thing — you can get out of your comfort zone, explore new places and try new foods and experiences. But sometimes all of this is available right on your doorstep — there’s a whole lot to see in your backyard.

In this article, four ITP community members share their hometowns (or nearby) with us.

Lane and Juliet: Santa Fe, New Mexico

When travellers come to Santa Fe, New Mexico, they stuff themselves with green chilis, enjoy the Canyon Road art scene, visit historic adobe buildings, and buy crafts from Native American vendors. What visitors tend to overlook is the beauty of the surrounding mountains and the numerous hiking opportunities available in the region.

Plaza Blanca

One of our favorite hikes — or strolls — is just 45 minutes north of the city. We’re by no means the first people to discover the Plaza Blanca (the “White Place”). In the 1940s, Georgia O’Keeffe began painting this bleached, towering landscape. The Plaza Blanca is rife with slot canyons and boasts a sprawling boulder garden. It’s the perfect place to watch the the orange sunbeams of the day slide down the rugged chalk walls, as dusk approaches.

The Plaza Blanca is located on land owned by a local mosque. There’s a small parking lot, but few other amenities. Bring water, sunscreen and a broad-rimmed hat. In the summer months be aware of rattlesnakes intent on basking on a rock with a view. From Santa Fe, take US 84 north to Abiquiu. Address: 41174 Fictitious St at the Dar al-Islam mosque. The mosque is open sporadically to visitors and photographers.

Grapevine

Adam Groffman: Grapevine, Texas

After travelling around the world for nearly 18 months, I returned to my old hometown of Grapevine, Texas. (If you’ve ever flown through Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, you’ve been there, too!) From cupcake shops to upscale wineries, my visit to Grapevine was as surprising as anywhere else I’d travelled.

Michela Baxter: Columbus, Ohio

This past summer, in an effort to get to know my city better, I committed to a 30 Day City Challenge – experiencing 30 new things in 30 days in the city I live in, and I wrote about it on my website. It was such a great way to break out of my comfort zone of the same-old, same-old routine and get to know Columbus, OH better.

30-day challenge

It’s easy to take for granted all of the great things that the place you call home has to offer. So snap out of your same-old routine and explore your own city! Plan a 30 Day City Challenge and experience your home with fresh eyes and an open mind. Find 30 new things you’ve never done in your city before — and do them in 30 days! Explore new restaurants, museum exhibits, community festivals… you get the picture. And don’t forget to document as you go. Observe the details, people watch, and take your camera along. And tweet about it using #30DayCityChallenge.

Spencer Quong: Yosemite National Park

Spencer blogs at Wandering Minstrel.

View over Yosemite Valley

Although under-appreciated and often neglected, the National Park system is one of the wonders of the United States. The parks range from the Denali National Park beneath the shadow of the massive mountain in Alaska to the arid Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in the sunburnt desert of Arizona. One of the grandest parks is Yosemite National Park, located in the middle of California. While it was not the first national park (Yellowstone), it was the first land set aside for preservation by the US Government in 1864 by Abraham Lincoln. Some may know it from Ansel Adams’ stunning, yet simple photography or efforts of naturalists, John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt, to preserve Yosemite and other wilderness across America.

Yosemite is just a four-hour drive from San Francisco and six hours from Los Angeles and is a must-see if you are coming to California. Most people visit Yosemite Valley, where five-thousand-foot granite walls tower over you. Sadly, tourism between late spring to early fall can make the traffic and crowds in the Valley unbearable (even to most of the bears). While I believe that the finest locations in Yosemite are those only accessible by rope or backpack, certainly there are places where you can experience the magnificence of the park without the crowds. One way to do this is to visit Yosemite in the winter.

Snow valley

There are opportunities to go snowshoeing, skiing (downhill and cross-country), and snowman-making near Badger Pass or hiking in the Valley where it is “usually” above freezing during the day. Those with a thick fur can camp and those without can choose from a wide range of (heated) housing options. And, certainly, nothing is better than a cup of cocoa or a glass of wine in front of the tree-sized fireplace in the Ahwannee hotel. But better than the lack of crowds is the appreciation of the beauty of the senseless.

Thanks to everyone who helped kick off our community week. If you have stories to share, you can get a free account and leave your story in the comments.

Tags: columbus, explore my backyard, grapevine, hometown, santa fe, United States of America, yosemite No Comments »

by Taylor McIntyre

Nantucket’s harbour [photos]

February 17, 2012 in Travel Photography, United States of America

When walking through Nantucket’s harbour in July you’ll see big private yacht after even bigger private yacht. Some yachts are so enormoous that I even saw a Mini Cooper on top of one of the ones I walked past.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of judging these wealthy tourists for displaying their money so ostentatiously and for (probably) damaging the environment with their petrol-guzzling machines, but it’s important to remember that the locals rely on the harbour for their livelihood. The tourism brings money into the economy and most, if not all, locals have their own boat for fishing, scalloping, crabbing, or catching whatever else is in season.

When I was in Nantucket, I stayed with a local family — who let me tag along to check their crab pots and have dinner with them on the water. We didn’t catch anything that day, but I hope to return for another go. These photos are from that outing.

Families fishing at an old Nantucket lighthouse.

An old fishing boat making its way back into the harbour.

This is Kenny, the owner of the boat, and part of the family that I lived with.

This is a buoy that marked where certain crab pots were. Seagulls had overtaken this buoy and the area smelled awful, but the light was too perfect for me to pass up a photo.

On the boat ride out to check the crab pots.

Some of the locals' boats at the public harbour.

Learn how to improve your travel photography here on the Indie Travel Podcast.

4 Comments »

by Craig Martin

New York City overview [video]

December 7, 2011 in United States of America

What to do in New York? You could start by shopping at Apple NYC, staying at the Casablanca Hotel, and visiting the Empire State building, Times Square, MOMA, the Met, Top of the Rock, City Line circle cruise, the Highline Park, the Pony Bar, and Chelsea Market. The NYCgo pass can be a good investment if you’re planning on doing a lot of sightseeing, as it gives access to a lot of the major attractions.

Tags: Apple NYC, Casablanca Hotel, Chelsea Market., City Line circle cruise, MOMA, new york, NY, NYC, NYCgo, NYCgo pass, the Empire State building, the Highline Park, the Met, the Pony Bar, Times Square, Top of the Rock, united states, United States of America, videopost, Videos No Comments »

by Taylor McIntyre

Nantucket’s Sankaty lighthouse [photo essay]

November 8, 2011 in Travel Photography, United States of America

Sankaty lighthouse is one of the most famous landmarks on Nantucket; the local brewery even has a beer named after it. Once a fully functioning lighthouse, it’s now a historical site carefully conserved as a reminder of times past — a few years ago it was even moved because of the eroding shore line.

What may sound like a pretty bland history lesson is actually a beautiful place; the surrounding area is filled with flowers and tall grass, and the lighthouse’s location on a hill means that there are awesome views of the whole island. The paths lead up to the lighthouse are popular with bikers and dog walkers. Below are some photos of Sankaty and a nearby private little harbour.

Learn how to improve your travel photography here on the Indie Travel Podcast.

Tags: america, american lighthouse, historic lighthouse, lighthouse, lighthouse usa, Massachusetts, Nantucket Massachusetts, Nantucket's Sankaty lighthouse, photo, photo essay, photos, sankaty, Sankaty Massachusetts, sankaty nantucket, united states, United States of America 2 Comments »

by Craig and Linda

Holiday travel guide

November 7, 2011 in United States of America

With holiday travel season approaching, we talk about staying sane while travelling over the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holiday time. Family can be stressful enough, but the huge numbers of people doing “vacation travel” over late November, December and early January definitely adds lots of stress to family events. And nobody needs more of that.

To listen to this show, hit the play button or find episode 217 here in iTunes:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

So our best holiday travel advice …

Don’t go!

If you can avoid Christmas holiday travel, then make sure you do. It’s the busiest, most expensive time to jump on a plane. Airports are horrendously busy, there’s likely to be more congestion, less turn-around time for planes and less slack for the airline staff.

holiday travel Delays and cancelled flights are almost inevitable, so there’s all this extra stress for the ground crew and airlines, but it’s compounded by the people in the airport. Many of the people who are flying for the Thanksgiving holiday or the Christmas/New Year holiday are not experienced in airport etiquette and security rules or, perhaps worse, are travelling in large family groups … And groups always move slower than individuals.

Security lines slow down, people argue over their liquids, pocket knives, carry-on baggage allowances. It’s quite hellish. Mark Peacock at Travel Commons has a great podcast on US-business travel and often covers ways to deal with airport security and lines. We also did a podcast on speeding through airport security which can help.

If you have to fly at Thanksgiving, book now

And the same can be said for your Christmas/New Year vacation travel. Airline prices really aren’t going to get any cheaper, so if you’re going to book a flight and you haven’t already, you may as well do it now. Unless you’re a frequent-flyer god or goddess, don’t expect to be cashing in your miles on boxing day, either. I would imagine that flying standby is also going to give you worse odds than a Nigerian widow transferring US$10,000,000 into your bank account.

missed-flight-plane-in-sky-square Try to book an early-morning flight. A lot of leisure travellers will aim for later flights, so the airport will be less congested and also there’s less chance of a domino effect making your flight late. If a plane leaves the gate ten minutes late, that’ll delay boarding the next plane by at least that long, so it’s almost guaranteed that the next plane on that gate will be leaving even later. Once the ten-minutes-late plane gets onto the runway, their slot has been taken and they need to wait to be re-allocated a take-off slot. It just gets worse and worse as time goes on, so try to book your flights for earlier rather than later.

Think contrarian

The best holiday travel guide tip, is to travel earlier, stay later. Farecompare had some really interesting stats on when people flew and how much the tickets cost over the last few years. They bundled it all together and this is what the traditional pattern is that’s it is best to fly 5 days before or after the big day.

Actually flying on the holiday itself can also work wonders. @GamerTraveler on said he flew last Thanksgiving and had surprisingly little hassle.
holidaytravelguide_tweets

Pack light

I know we speak about this all the time, but packing light is one of the best ways you can help yourself. Especially during such a high-pressure time there’s a likelihood that your check-in bags may be re-routed to another destination. Spending your holidays in the same pair of underpants isn’t going to be pleasant, but it could make your least favourite uncle’s gift a bit more useful.

Get yourself down to one carry-on bag and reduce your toiletries that fits the size and weight requirements of your airline. If you’re doing multiple flights, check them all as some airlines have different requirements for national and international travel. Make sure that you check the liquids and sharps rules for the countries you’re travelling through too.

Consider posting your gifts ahead of time. It’ll help you avoid the Christmas shopping rush and, depending on your airline, might actually save you a big chunk of cash on bag-handling fees. Now, of course, this could get quite expensive depending on where you are and where you’re going but it’s definitely worth looking into. Electronic gift certificates and things like that are also going to be a great way to get around the weight issue. It’s hard to lose an email.

Insurance

christmas-disappointment-square I’d definitely look into travel insurance, even for such a short period. If you’re travelling within the US, WorldNomads (our providers) can insure you if you’re travelling more than 100km from home. We like them because you can sign up and extend from anywhere and they do ultra-short term packages too. There are tips on what to look for in holiday insurance cover here.

Travel on the ground

Most of these holiday travel guide tips have revolved around air travel, so some quick tips for when you arrive:

Make use of public transport to save taxi fees. Three people travelling a taxi is normally cheaper than a shuttle service, but a public bus or train is almost always cheaper again. Do a google search for the place you’re going to and dig up the information in advance. The information desk at the airport is probably not going to be easy to reach during the Christmas/New Year holiday period.

Toandfromtheairport.com is a great resource for this. We use it all the time. They list information on public and private transport options for thousands of airports around the world.

Final thoughts

I guess the main thing you can do is remember to plan, but then go with the flow. There’s no fun in taking time to spend with cool people then being stressed and grumpy all the time. You can only do so much. There are going to be traffic jams, delayed flights, and annoying people. I guess you have to remember that a holiday isn’t a battle. You don’t “win” by being three people ahead in the queue.

Do you have anything to add to our holiday travel guide? Please leave a comment with your tips.

Sponsor: WorldNomads.com

This episode of the Indie Travel Podcast is sponsored by WorldNomads.com.

WorldNomads.com provides great value global travel insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online, even if already travelling. All World Nomads get free travel blogs, safety advice and language guides for your iPod. You can also support a Footprints community development project when you purchase online. WorldNomads.com – keep travelling safely.

This podcast is an update of #129 – Winter vacation travel guide.

Tags: christmas travel guide, christmas vacation, holiday travel guide, new year holiday, Podcasts, thanksgiving holiday, travel guide, travelpodcast, vacation travel, vacation trips 14 Comments »

by Stephen Vanderpool

Kerouac’s Big Sur: don’t get hung up on Bixby

November 1, 2011 in United States of America

If you’ve read Big Sur and want to make the pilgrimage to that craggy roaring coastline where Jack Kerouac wrote his poem “Sea,” don’t expect to get up-close-and-personal with the crashing waves that inspired his onomatopoeic verses and shaped the hallucinations of his delirium tremens. Trying to reach the beach will likely result in arrest, shotgun wounds, or a nasty 250-foot plummet to the canyon floor. While you might not be able to sink your toes into the same patch of sand where Kerouac recorded the voice of the Pacific, Big Sur offers endless transcendental wonders beyond that little piece of literary holy ground.

Bixby: big and beautiful

The novel Big Sur is an account of Kerouac’s alcohol-induced madness deep in the Bixby Creek Canyon, where he sought respite in friend Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s secluded cabin. Between chasing empty delusions of love and feeding apples to Alf the sacred mule, Kerouac ventured to the coast and transcribed the sounds of the ocean. If you’re a Kerouac diehard, the Bixby Creek Bridge is a must-see. But if you’ve never even cracked On the Road, Bixby is still worth a stop and a few photos.

Built in the 1930s, the Bixby Bridge made costal travel along California 1 vastly more accessible, replacing the precipitous dirt roads that carved a precarious route along ridges and through valleys. Standing tall at 280 feet and closing a 320-foot gap, Bixby is a sight to behold. Next to the bridge, tourists can pull over and snap photos to their hearts’ content. With the ocean crashing against sheer cliff sides to the west and fog enshrouding the mountaintops to the east, there’s enough scenery to fill a thousand different postcards.

Death trap

Kerouac fanatics will want to find a way to the base of the bridge and the beach below, but the journey is near impossible. The Bixby Bridge is surrounded by impassable cliffs that would spell certain doom for anyone foolish enough to make the descent. You can see paths where people have tried, but they all end in treacherous drop-offs. The only reasonable way down to sea level is to tramp down the old dirt road that gradually descends into the canyon. But once you get to the canyon floor, it’s a couple of miles back to the sea — a couple of miles through thick woods rife with ‘No Trespassing’ and ‘Private Property’ signs. The canyon holds a handful of cabins, and the owners are serious about their privacy. Deadly serious. One resident has been known to chase down intruders with a shotgun.

If you survive the trip, it should take three or four hours to complete. But instead of risking your life for a few fleeting moments of literary bliss, it may be wiser to experience the canyon from atop and spend some time seeing the many geographic treasures along the Big Sur coastline.

Move on and explore

If you don’t have a travel credit card that gives you rewards on gas, get one. With gas prices always on the rise, the last thing you want to worry about is not having the cash to see the entirety of the California coastline. Just south of Bixby you’ll find breathtaking costal marvels like Partington Cove, Pfeiffer Beach and McWay Falls. If you’d like to visit some parks with mind-blowing hiking options, check out Andrew Molera or Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. You could easily spend weeks getting lost in infinite splendor of Big Sur, scrambling over rocky Pacific outcrops, watching for the spray of wallowing whales, listening to the seals converse in distant barks.

The Bixby Creek Bridge is certainly worth a stop, but no matter how much you want to be a Dharma Bum, don’t let it eat up your day. Big Sur’s majesty is unbelievably extensive, and it’d be a shame to miss out on all it has to offer.

Stephen Vanderpool is a writer for NerdWallet.com, the Internet’s coolest/nerdiest site for credit card comparison.

Tags: Big Sur, bixby, california 1, californina, Jack Kerouac, Kerouac, on the road, road travel, road trip, travel in california, united states, United States of America 3 Comments »

by Russ Brooks

Meet, Plan, Go: A new community that changed everything

October 6, 2011 in United States of America

Almost exactly a year ago, I was in an all-too-common place: overworked, burned out, unhappy with my life, and filled with an overwhelming desire to change course and get out of a life that wasn’t bringing me much happiness. I’d been dreaming of something different and had been wanting to travel long-term for years, but just didn’t know how to make it happen, much less have the support to make it a reality.

For a solid year, I sat around and imagined leaving my job and traveling. I even bought a huge world map and started drawing potential routes. I knew people who taken long trips straight out of college, but didn’t know anyone who had taken a career break later in life. I heard a few stories about friends-of-friends or occasionally read about someone in the newspaper or a magazine, but I had no personal connection and certainly no sincere advice, support, or guidance.

Thankfully, right in the thick of my fantasies I met someone who suggested I check out Meet, Plan, Go; an organization that encourages career breaks and hosts an annual event that includes a panel of successful people who have taken career breaks. As soon as I walked into Meet, Plan, Go’s event in Boston, I knew I had found ‘my people’: the travel support I was looking for. The event was filled with veteran career-breakers, recently-returned breakers, people getting set to leave, and dozens of us looking for help to turn our dreams into reality.

Confidence

Meeting people who valued travel and time off gave me the confidence to walk into work the next day and tell my boss I would be leaving. Meet, Plan, Go allowed me to talk to others who had taken a break, ask questions, and see the happiness their break had brought them; giving me the motivation to take mine.

Community

Meeting people with similar interests while on the road was equally as important. Support and advice continually flowed, as travelers are keen to share where they’ve been or what they’ve seen and are always willing to dish out specifics about routes, transport, and accommodation.

Exploring Petra with some of my travel people

One of the easiest ways I found to meet people was using the web and social media platforms. The online travel community is pretty tight-knit and always tremendously helpful. Starting before I left, I researched destinations using blogs and websites, but as I traveled, anytime I was heading to a new location, I updated my status and tweeted to see if anyone was nearby. I also found that participating in specific, planned activities was a great way to meet like-minded people. Whether I joined a hike or scuba dived or took classes to learn the language or how to cook the cuisine, it was a simple way to find other like-minded travelers.

My nine months on the road taught me how important community is, while at the same time creating a new community for me to participate in. I’ve met people from around the world who took career breaks, changed their lives, and are now living their dreams and I’ve been lucky to make new friends who feel the same way about life, work, and travel. The travel community was invaluable to me throughout the planning and traveling stages and is once again as I navigate the transition back home. Since returning, I’ve decided to move to a new city and change careers and the first thing I’ll be doing when I arrive in my new city is attend Meet, Plan, Go’s event. In addition to trying to return the gift of inspiration and motivation that was given to me a year earlier, I know it’ll give me an opportunity to kick-start my life in my new city with like-minded people.

Meet, Plan, Go

Have you been dreaming of changing your life? Does that change include long-term travel? Are you looking for your travel community? Then don’t miss attending Meet, Plan, Go in one of 17 cities throughout North America on October 18th. In addition to interacting with a room full of people just like you who are considering a career break, there will be a panel of veteran career breakers sharing their stories and answering questions like:

How much does a career break cost?
How and when do I tell my employer I’m leaving?
Should I buy travel insurance and if so, what kind?
How do I transition back to into my career once I return?

Also, just for walking in the door at a Meet, Plan Go event in your city, you’ll also receive a few other perks for attending that will help you get started with your career break.

If you’d like to meet your ‘people’ and find support and help to seize this opportunity and escape the cube to create a new life for yourself join us for Meet Plan Go and be inspired by those who have already done so.

Tags: canada, career break, Go: A new community, meet, meet plan go, meet plan go community, meet plan go event, plan, travel, united states, United States of America No Comments »

by Leigh Shulman

Burning Man 2011: when you get past the glitter, it’s all about metaphor

July 28, 2011 in United States of America

I’m going to Burning Man again this year, my third year.

This year, it’s not about packing. I already have what I need, most of it sitting in the storage bins of friends, family and even a couple of people I barely know but who were kind enough to help a girl out.

I know how to find center camp. I’ve made certain to bring extra lights; all of mine went dead last year. I’ve long since reserved a bike with my favorite place for bike rental.

Ready for Burning Man 2011?

This year, it’s about preparing mentally for that which cannot be prepared. That is the fun of Burning Man. You just never know what will happen next.

In 2009, my friend Gail shaved her head and left the hair in the temple before going back to begin chemotherapy. Second burn, Gail finished her final treatment of chemo the day I arrived in San Francisco. I showed up at her door with a care package of food, manicure and massage certificates, gifts from a group of us who know and love her. It was an honor to be the one to surprise her with the largest bunch of flowers I’ve ever seen. She didn’t go to the burn last year.

Last year, I sat in camping chairs in front of our truck with a beer in one hand and a Marlboro Red 100 in the other making jokes with Dave, the middle-aged homo, as he calls himself. We checked out groups of passing naked men, compared notes. We laughed a lot.
This year, Gail is going. Dave is not.

Last year, I arrived on the playa alone. No husband or daughter. Just me arriving to a camp of people I’d never met, and it was perfect. I could do what I wanted, be who I wanted, go where I wanted when I wanted. I was a blank slate. This year, I’m going with Noah and my best friend Jen who has known me longer than anyone.

Last year, I had no responsibilities. This year, I’ve volunteered to cook dinner for our camp, fifty or so people. I’ll be giving herbal medicine massage at a healing fair, and I’ll probably do at least one shift of man watch. That means, I’ll stand out by the man wearing an official Burning Man “Man” t-shirt and yell at you if you ride your bike too close or try to climb it or basically do any other shit that stupid drugged people sometimes do in the desert.

Last year, I wandered through the desert alone or with people I’d never met. There were random cuddle piles. There was confusion. My bike got stuck in deep playa just before a massive dust storm hit. I got lost after the man burned and all landmarks had been taken down, so I wandered from fire to fire keeping warm. Someone handed me a stick with a marshmallow on it to roast. I’ve added marshmallows to my packing list for this year.

I walked near the night clubs with Julian and a guy who called himself Fire Fairy, when someone suddenly asked us if we wanted bacon cheese grits.

Sometimes you don’t know how badly you want something until it’s in your hands. Julian pulled out a pair of chopsticks from his bag and began eating. We all laughed. Later, in Reno, while Julian brushed my wet hair like he has done so many times for his sisters, we admitted to each other that we weren’t sure if Fire Fairy was interested in me or him. He seemed to want both of us.

But that was last year, and I know if I want any hope of having as perfectly wonderful a time this year as I did last, I need to let go of any attachments or expectations.

It could suck. Noah and I could spend the week ignoring each other. Maybe I’ll suddenly see that the camp that last year was so welcoming and kind, was not at all what I thought. What if Jen and I, who in the twenty years we’ve been friends have never had a fight -– true story -– fight and leave the playa not friends. Odder things have been known to happen there.

Jen called last week. I’d sent her the two articles I wrote last year for Indie Travel Podcast to help her prepare and mentioned that she’s better off not reading more unless she wants to be overwhelmed.

She read anyway. She was overwhelmed. The lists are too long. The choices too varied. No one needs all of that. You only need make the choices that are right for you. You’ll probably make mistakes. So what?

Jen’s greatest concern was how she’ll fit into the community. She doesn’t know the rules, spoken or unspoken. She doesn’t know the culture. What if she embarrasses me? What if she does something that jeopardizes my relationship with them? Repeat after me. No attachments. No expectations.

These are my plans for Burning Man this year. I will dance. I will dance again. I’ll find the Space Cowboys or maybe Bass Nectar and follow the music until the early morning hours when I’ll fall asleep somewhere and wake up only when the day gets too hot to sleep.

I will run across people I didn’t expect to meet. I will not see people I hoped to see. I will wear a tutu on Tutu Tuesday. I will make curry for 50. I will see amazing art. Something will be set on fire.

This year, I want to go to Glitter Camp and find my Burner soul mate at the Costco Soulmate Outlet.

I will visit the Man and the Temple at dawn at least once, most likely after a sleepless and wide-eyed night. I will probably fuck something up. I might have a breakdown. The heat and intensity does it to everyone eventually.

But as long as I don’t expect or think something will be in a certain way or shape or place, then it will be just as I want it to be. Kind of like the rest of life, except without the costumes, glitter and cheese grits.

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