There is a certain initial aggression that permeates the air here in Israel. I'm not certain whether that is because of the harsh syllables of a language I cannot decipher (the raspy Hebrew "hat" and "raish" sounds that come from the back of one's throat), or the centuries of war and bloodshed that were fought over these lands, or the fact that it's mandatory for every Israeli to do military service for three years of their youth, that gives this country the impression of being "playfully aggressive".
The Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem & Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillippines: My Thoughts On Family
I can't sleep. Although, I'm staying at Mount Zion, a beautiful boutique hotel in Jerusalem, I just can't sleep. Being at the Holocaust Memorial at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem earlier yesterday really struck an emotional chord deep inside of me.
30 Comes At You Fast: Follow Your Heart Not Your Ego and How to Tell the Difference
30 Comes At You Fast Aziz Ansari
Now that I have reached 30 years of age... here's the biggest question on my mind: what am I working towards?
That's recently been the main topic of my internal thoughts, mulling and pondering over the purpose of my life and the projects I am working on.
Guest Post: 5 Reasons to Ski in Norway
When Martin Nolan of The Travel Ramble suggested that I go skiing in Norway, my first thought was "I didn't realize that Norway was even considered a skiing destination!" I know there's a lot of snow there, but I don't think about slopes when I think of Norway. I actually hardly think about slopes at all since I'm quite terrible at skiing. I grew up in Thailand for god's sake! I can barely ice-skate. Watching me navigate through ice and snow is like watching a pile of baby rabbits getting shot. Seriously. Martin mentioned that Norway is probably the best place for a novice skier to learn. Enticed, I invited him to write a guest post about skiing in Norway so that I can definitely consider it when I'm thinking about taking a ski trip there.
Get Married at An All-Inclusive Resort
All-inclusives are a good deal if you're looking to book a trip where you don't want to rack up extra dollars on your meals and alcoholic beverages. There's definitely a peace of mind that comes with your vacation when you know your meals and drinks are included. All-inclusives are also a great option for cost-effective weddings. Your guests will be glad to know how much they will have to pay up front and everyone can eat, drink, and get totally trashed, without limits.
My friend Carolyn and her husband got married at an all-inclusive and it was basically a wedding, honeymoon, and a vacation with close friends and family in one. If you're short on time or want to kill three birds with one stone, I totally recommend it.
Here are two all-inclusives I recommend due to their contribution to sustainability.
#1) Turkoise: Club Med's Turks and Caicos All-Inclusive
Turkoise, Club Med's Turks and Caicos All-Inclusive (starting at $US150++/night) offers 290 rooms in two-story bungalows. The resort has held a Green Globe Certification since June 2010 and is one of the best destinations in the world for water sports and scuba diving.
Located on the northeast side of the island of Providenciales in the Caribbean Sea, this adult-only (18 years and older) is located on a white sandy beach that lines the entire length of the resort next to a calm and clear turquoise sea.
Activities at the property include adventure sports such as a flying trapeze (yes, you read correct: a flying trapeze), biking, cardio-tennis, yoga, fishing, hiking, scuba diving (at an extra cost), sailing, snorkeling and more.
A golf course is within range and guided tours of the island are available.
In order to ensure the protection of the area's coral reefs, the property has a responsible scuba diving program in partnership with the organization Beautiful Oceans.
This all-inclusive is the only resort on the island to buy locally-produced table wine (white, red, and rose) and bottles are reused. This reduces transport-related emissions and provides local jobs. It also makes the recycling of glass bottles possible, since there is no available waste treatment on the island yet.Also, through their sustainable purchasing policy, they avoid the purchase of endangered species, especially fish.Club Med also supports Provo Children's Home, a home for abused children, where they teach the children about the environment and recycling.In full support of the environment, Club Med organizes Earth Day activities in the local village and participate in the island clean-up with other hotels and local children.
#2) Palace Isla Mujeres Resort in Mexico
I really enjoyed the feel of Palace Isla Mujeres Resort, an intimate couples-only all-inclusive a short boat ride away from Cancun. It offers 62 beautiful and luxuriously appointed accommodations with double jacuzzi baths offering island, pool or ocean views and balconies, a well-stocked mini bars, 24-hour room service where you can order whole bottles of wine (both red and white if you want), wireless internet and free phone calls to mainland United States, Canada and Mexico (a huge plus!).
The property also offers a fitness center, beach volleyball court, pool volleyball, ping pong tables, and table games.
You can also take part in the daily planned activities such as theme parties, contests, live performances, as well as trips to to the nearby turtle preserve. Daily Spanish lessons are also offered for those who want a quick lesson.
Relaxing and energizing spa services are also available in four spa cabins (including a wedding one) at an additional cost. Spa treatments are not included in the all-inclusive plan at Isla Mujeres Palace, although two 25 minute massages are included if you book a Concierge Level Room.
Another perk: Guests at Palace Isla Mujeres will also have day access to the other larger Palace Resort properties in the Cancun area (Beach Palace, Moon Palace, Sun Palace) where you can enjoy the pools and the activities offered there for the entire duration of your stay.
You can also enjoy the infamous nightlife of Cancun a short boat-ride away.
The Palace Resorts was the first group member globally to join EarthCheck – the environmental sustainability program and has implemented new systems to monitor eco-friendly approaches to operations, conservation measures and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). They are also certified under the Meso American Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI), which awards companies which protect the region’s natural landscape through sustainable hotel operations.
Palace Resorts created the Palace Foundation, which supports the land and people of Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Jalisco and Nayarit in México and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
The luxury amenities of the Palace Resort Isla Mujeres plus the private intimacy of this property starts at $US375+/night.
Why Everyone Should Be a FreshTraveler
Nike-Better-World-Campaign-01
I quit my full-time job in LA to travel and work freelance so that I could have a flexible schedule to work on my blog. I want to encourage a certain type of travel - a more responsible, mindful, greener art of travel. Of course, when traveling, there's no such thing as not leaving a carbon footprint at all. It's actually quite impossible. However, there are things we can do to travel as green and eco-consciously as possible.
I also wanted to dispel the myth that luxury travel fosters a disconnect between tourists and the land and people they visit.Luxury travel has the potential to be an intimate nature experience, culturally rich, and also environmentally responsible. It's all about finding the right travel providers and doing a bit of research ahead of your trip. My goal is to educate travelers that high-end travel does not have to be exploitative. And when it's not, your experience is all the more rewarding and special. Travelers can have a really fantastic vacation where they stay in luxury accommodations, eat fine cuisine and get the most out of the destination through adventure tours but also have a meaningful experience that does not deplete the resources of the place they're visiting. I hope you stumble upon something in FreshTraveler that will spark your interest in this type of travel and please let me know if you have any questions at all about how I can make this easier for you to travel with a lighter carbon footprint.
By supporting companies such as Coati Travel, an eco-travel company based in Costa Rica, we can travel well and travel responsibly.
In fact, they are currently offering eco-interested travelers the ultimate adventure with a chance to win an amazing Dream Green Vacation to Costa Rica. One lucky winner and three companions of their choice will be invited to experience the pristine natural beauty of Costa Rica with its lush rainforests and idyllic beaches, lodging at a boutique hotel in the hills of San José and the Cayuga Collection’s top luxury sustainable hotels, and regional flights on the world’s first carbon-neutral airline, Nature Air.
Get more information on how to enter online at www.coatitravel.com/dream
A quick glance at the ingredients of a candy bar can show you whether you're eating empty calories. As delicious as it may appear, empty calories are of no benefit to your health or the health of the people around you and I urge you to use the same analogy with travel. Be mindful of your travel choices and do not become an empty traveler.
As someone who has traveled my whole life, believe me when I say, eventually you will come to see that most five star hotels have the same amenities - 24-hour room service, cabanas by the pool, several onsite restaurants with a seasonal menu crafted by a celebrity chef, an in-suite jacuzzi tub, and luxe toiletries that make your skin tingle all over. After a while, keycard after keycard becomes almost impossible to differentiate.
What makes a quality place in my eyes is not the number of amenities it offers nor the number of shopping boutiques that are available onsite, but the quality of what is available. The quality of service and the quality of the food. This is why I tend to like boutique hotels over larger ones. They are small enough where you know the name of all the people who work hard to ensure that you have the best stay possible. In my experience, at a smaller place, you also get the privacy and space that you need to decompress and rejuvenate from the stresses of work or city life. However, I don't rule out larger hotel groups either. But when I choose to stay at a hotel chain, I like to know their values are aligned with mine and I stay at the ones that encourage a healthier, active and mindful lifestyle.
Yoga at Blue Osa, Costa Rica
A mindful traveler takes the time to be conscious of his or her surroundings and is curious about life beyond the walls of the hotel. I urge you that when you travel, be more mindful in your travels and expand your horizons any way you know how. I believe that if we are all mindful travelers, seeing from an ever-curious, dynamic and fresh perspective (as FreshTravelers!), tourism can be a powerful force in both helping developing economies grow and also in helping depressed economies get back on their feet. Together through travel, I believe we can cultivate a higher level of understanding, open-mindedness and bring more peace, to both ourselves and in our world.
Biking in Delray Beach, Florida
It's as simple as biking ortaking public transportation instead of renting a car
or renting the most fuel-efficient car possible.
It's about a little prior research to find a locally-owned boutique hotel
or purchasing items from locally-owned businesses
or supporting the bigger hotels that treat their employees well and take the time to invest in the surrounding community.
Made in Brooklyn
It's about supporting the businesses who contribute positively to their surrounding community, regardless of whether they are big or small. It's not a 'BIG versus SMALL' or a 'ME versus YOU' mentality. It's about creating a win-win situation for everybody. This is the mindful way that I explore life. This is also the way that I choose to travel. I choose to travel to hotels and support travel businesses that are socially-conscious.
Getting my head massaged at Naked Hair Salon Delray Beach.
There has been a great paradigm shift in the last few years and I believe that the need to live a greener life is even more urgent - if we continue living and traveling mindlessly as we have done in the past, we will continue to exhaust our land and deplete our oceans. I call upon you to make more conscious decisions and take the responsibility in knowing what your money is supporting. Information is at our fingertips, and a very quick google search can show you the conscience of a company.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Jacobus, the CEO of
, an eco-travel company based in Costa Rica, on the growing influence of responsible travel in the tourism industry. In 2005, he relocated his entire family from Milwaukee to Nosara in Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula to start a travel business that has now since grown into a world class eco-adventure agency that is dedicated to sustain the local economy and the environment. A long-time advocate for these eco-travel, Steve shared with me his thoughts on the future of responsible, green travel:
Turtle Conservation in Tulum
¨Eco-tourism is important. We need to do something different with what we do on this earth, or else we won't be able to continue. We need to travel in a way where we don't create a negative impact on the environment. It's not just about tourism. It's also about the rainforest. If we cut down the rainforest, the human race won't survive. We need them and if we keep depleting them, we're going to run out. We have to rethink what we do with our natural resources. As we bring more and more people down, we have to handle nature in a respectful manner and we also have to be able to handle it more responsibly. One of the most enjoyable and easiest ways to protect our rainforest is through eco-tourism. One of the greatest things about eco-tourism is this: If people are going to use land one way or the other... whether cutting down the trees for farming or keeping the forest just the way it is to benefit the community, eco-tourism generates greater economic value to the land.
Since 2005, the adventure travel sector has grown. It is currently the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. Even during times with economic challenges, people who can afford to travel will travel... but they travel differently... for educational value, for learning, and they do it responsibly. In a way, the economy is forcing people to make more conscious choices.
Eco-tourism will continue to grow and expand. What Mother Nature offers is more fascinating than what theme parks can create. When you vacation in nature, you become grounded, your creativity increases, you are healthy and feel much better. Then when you come back to the concrete jungle, you bring what you learn back to others.
In terms of changes in the eco-travel industry since 2005, there are now more options available for luxury travel and more tourism properties are interested in getting their sustainability rating as a marketing move. This is a positive trend, with many luxury oriented properties being serious about sustainability. Boutique travel is growing, as well as luxury hospitality with a cultural aspect to it. Another change is that there are more and more people that are interested in understanding sustainability. Before, clients were mainly just interested in being in nature, now you have to educate your client on your sustainability practices to maintain your credibility as an eco-property. Also, more people are willing to pay for that education.¨
------ Steve Jacobus, the CEO of Coati Travel
Until August 31st, 2013, Coati Travel is offering a FREE eco-trip to Costa Rica for four people. See below for details on how you can enter! Best of luck and I hope you win! And if you do, please share your photos or stories with me. I'd love to feature it on FreshTraveler!
xoxo
Patricia
Flying over Costa Rica on Nature Air, the world's first carbon neutral airline.
[Guest Post] 5 BIGGER Ways to Recycle
Most of us know how important recycling is to our planet. Other than just bringing a canvas tote bag to the grocery store or separating your papers from your plastics at home, here are five BIGGER ways to incorporate recycled items into an even greener life. Sophia Evans of Soph Called Life reached out to me and and asked to share this amazing guest post about recycling. Thank you, Sophia for all these great ideas to how to make your life greener!
#1 Buy a recycled engagement ring.
Brilliant Earth is an engagement ring conflict-free diamond company that is dedicated to recycling metals like gold, silver, and platinum. They refine the metals back into their pure states, mix them with alloys, and cast them into new, beautiful fine works of art. This process reduces the overall demand for newly mined metals and helps to lessen the effects of “dirty” gold and other questionable mining practices. So when you are ready to move on from your old pieces of jewelry, just remember they are recyclable and you will feel better about giving up those unique pieces knowing you are helping the environment.
#2 Recycle your old designer shoes.
Nike offers a shoe-recycling program that turns scraps of rubber from old shoes into playground turf. By taking your old, worn-out shoes back to the store, you will be helping to make playgrounds safer for children and reducing the amount of new rubber that is created each year. Nike also offers organic clothing, a plan to trim waste from production, and is in the process of switching to more sustainable materials.
#3 Donate your old bike to a charity.
In most countries, bikes are not a form of recreation; they are the normal mode of transportation. Before you throw out your old bike, consider donating it to a charity such as Bikes for the World. The main goal of this company is to keep these bikes out of landfills and to put them into the hands of people in Third World countries who need them.
#4 Buy recycled furniture.
Many lotion bottles are made out of a durable material called HDPE plastic. Once recycled, this plastic can be turned into highly durable outdoor furniture. By recycling these bottles and buying furniture that is made from recycled plastic, you can help to decrease demand for new plastics and other environmentally detrimental materials.
#5 Take your own coffee mug to work.
Cutting back on your usage of disposable cups is a great way to lower your impact on the environment. The average office worker uses 500 disposable cups per year. Take your own coffee mug to work, save the company some money, and keep that waste out of the landfill.
We can do a lot to help our environment. By taking these new ideas to heart, you will be helping to impact the planet in a positive way. We owe it to ourselves, and future generations to do all that we can to preserve and protect our home.
For more ideas on how to live a greener life, check out Sophia Evans' blog, Soph Called Life.
Dominican Republic: My Bucket List of Things To Do
Since I met a super cool travel blogger at TBEX Toronto, Tasha Hacker of TurftoSurf.com, who currently lives in Dominican Republic with her husband Ryan, I've been super excited to go to the Dominican Republic. I've been doing some pre-trip research of all that things that I want to do there and wanted to share my bucketlist list with you. The Dominican Republic is a wonderful option for a quick getaway from the US or Europe. Just a 3 and a half hour flight from New York City and approximately 8 and a half hours from many European cities - like London and Madrid.
Whether you want to find a spot on a deserted beach to sun yourself and watch the world go by, or you want to make the most of your time and fill your itinerary with as many adventure activities as possible, a trip to the Dominican Republic will be able to satisfy your needs.
As a nation on the island of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic is one of the prime destinations for people heading for a stint in the Caribbean, and rightly so. With Haiti as its neighbor, the nation is part of the Greater Antilles archipelago nestled in the warming Caribbean Sea.
Photo Credit: greenwichmeantime.com
After Cuba, the Dominican Republic is the second largest nation in the Caribbean and offers travelers a huge opportunity to tread the beautiful white sands before taking a dip in the crystal clear, turquoise waters.
Photo Credit: Dominicana.com
Without further ado, I present to you...
FreshTraveler's Bucket List of Things to Do:
Visit Puerto Plata for a chance to learn more about the island and its heritage.
Photo Credit: TripAdvisor.com
Visit the Brugal Rum Distillery to learn how this navy rum is made (and perhaps enjoy a tipple or two).
Photo Credit: Earthtrek.com
Take a Kitesurfing Lesson in Cabarete Bay, a location of professional kitesurfing competitions "WorldCup/Copa Mundial", Master of the Ocean).
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Dive the Marine Caves at the Gri Gri lagoon. This is the location of some of the best diving in the world.
Photo Credit: cabareteecohostel.com
Hike Mount Isobel de Torres and take a cable car down. South west of Puerto Plata, this mountain is home to the highest manicured gardens in the Caribbean. The hike also offers breathtaking panoramic views from its peak, 2600 feet above sea level.
Photo Credit: definitivecaribbean.com
Go on a white water rafting adventure on the Rio Yaque del Norte in Jarabacoa, and tackle the bumps and twists sailing down river in an inflatable dinghy.
Photo Credit: caribbeandreamsdr.com
Rappel down a series of 27 waterfall cascades in the Damajagua area. Guided by adventure outfitter Iguana Mama, you'll hike, climb and swim your way to the top of the waterfall chain, then cliff-jump your way back down - sometimes leaping over falls of 30-feet or more.
Photo Credit: Iguana Mama
All this bucketlist research is getting me excited! I cannot wait for my trip to the Dominican Republic!
The Importance of a Morning Ritual, Meditation and Music
Many people have asked me how I do it - travel constantly without losing my mind or my bearings. It's true my travel schedule is jam packed with so many things, at times it seems like way too many.
Grounding yourself is very important when you travel. It's very easy to go off balance and turn into a complaining [insert whatever profanity works for you here] when you're jetting from airport lounge to terminal gate, airplane to train to bus to taxi to pedicab to hotel room.
But what I've done that really works for me is to establish a morning routine or a morning ritual. That's the first thing I do in the morning to get yourself ready to face the world - whichever part of the world I am in. I believe the reality you create on the outside is reflective of who you are inside so it's very important to check in and take care of yourself - both inside and outside.
Let me share with you what I do:
I Meditate
I do a morning meditation (anywhere between 20-30 minutes) depending on my time. This doesn't have to be anything grand or done out loud with chants and gongs and monks or religious statues, but just simply:
I lay in bed and check in on the thoughts inside my head. What's the topic of conversation in my head today? I just listen to the natural thoughts buzzing inside and I let them flow... and then I let it go.
I don't question my thoughts, I don't wonder why I think my thoughts, I don't scream my thoughts on the top of my lungs. I don't do anything about them, I just observe them. I say to myself "How interesting that I feel that way." No, "I wonder why I feel that way." or I don't judge myself or try to fight them. I just lay in bed, let all the emotions and thoughts wash over me, and then I let them go. I clear my head of yesterday so that I am able to let the new day in. This is easier said than done. This practice of reseting, freeing yourself to truly be in the moment is something I learned (and am continuing to learn!) to do from the 10-Day Vipassana Meditation Retreat I did. Check out my article about the Seven Things I Learned from FREE Vipassana Meditation Camp. This is something I highly recommend if you're able to take some time for yourself and it's 100% FREE. By doing this, I remind myself that I am in control of my emotions and I don't let that emotion dictate the rest of my day.
After my meditation, I Set An Intention. Out of the one million things that need to be done right now, what are the two things that am going to get done today? Then I think of one or two more pending items on the to-do list just in case I get through the two things that I am going to get done.
Once I decide on what my intentions are, I Listen to Music - My song of the moment is Modest Mouse "Float On" [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTAud5O7Qqk]
I LOVE the guitar riff! It's also a great reminder that "we'll all float on okay... and we'll all float on anyway, well... do do do do do do!"
Yesterday, it was The Killers "Human"
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIZdjT1472Y]
And to this music, I jump around and wash my face, brush my teeth, shower, and Abyanga (self massage) lovingly.
I feel completely jazzed to face whatever the day brings.
And if things are a lot more cray cray than usual, I take a minute out of my busy schedule and sing. Yep, I belt it out and lose myself in some YouTube karaoke. My mom's Filipina so karaoke is in my blood. The Philippines is a nation that is obsessed with karaoke. Every family I know in Manila has a karaoke machine and isn't afraid to use it, even early in the morning.
I made a little video for you to sing away your stresses... with me! So whenever you find yourself discombobulated and want to sing but feel silly singing alone... sing with me! Just play this video!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbx06BoxQ7k&feature=share&list=UUK6vwMNGE3wtJZwk1j4LYBA]
[PHOTO ESSAY] A Weekend Eco-Getaway to Mexico: Tulum
Since AeroMexico launched their daily direct flight from JFK to Cancun (only a 4 hour flight) back in July 2012, I've been meaning to make a long weekend trip down there to get out of the bi-polar summer weather that has been plaguing New York. When I finally got the chance, I decided not to stay in Cancun but take an ADO busapproximately 2 hours south (128 km or 80 mi) to Tulum, a pre-Columbian Maya walled city that served as a major port. It was one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayas. The Tulum ruins are the third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico, after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. They are the only ruins with the picturesque view of the Caribbean.
I was excited to see the ruins and explore the nearby small cenotes (sinkholes), but more importantly, I was happy to find that there was quite a selection of eco-lodges to stay at here all the way up to the Si'an Biosphere Reserve.
I'm not a huge fan of staying in huge hotels. When I travel, I prefer the intimacy of a boutique property - the smaller and the more unique, the better. I love connecting closely with the staff (knowing their names) and also knowing that my stay is contributing positively to the local economy.
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I decided to stay at Nueva Vida de Ramiro, a luxurious and unpretentious eco-resort on km 8.5 owned by Cancún-based architect Oscar Ortiz and his wife, Gea. One of the older eco-lodges in Tulum (located on kilometer 8.5), it opened in 1998 originally with 4 bungalows. Built 2 years after their son Ramiro woke up against all odds from a year long coma after a terrible motorcycle accident, Oscar and Gea named the hotel in honor of Ramiro's new life: Nueva Vida de Ramiro, or in English The New Life of Ramiro.
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Today, it's expanded to 32 rooms - a combination of bungalows, newer suites and a few two-room eco-houses suitable for families with children on 7.5 hectares of preserved property. It was really such a breath of fresh air being there. Being an eco-lodge, there is no air-conditioning, but the breeze of the sea was just what I needed to keep me cool. The rooms come equipped with fans and mosquito nets around the bed. Hair-dryers are also not allowed on the property since it the electricity on the property is run primarily on solar panels and a generator. I didn't really need a hair-dryer on this trip and since the weather was so warm, my hair easily air-dried.
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The bath products are also locally-made specially for the hotel. I really dug their Oatmeal Soap Bar and their Peppermint Mouthwash.
Most of the staff at Nueva Vida de Ramiro are hired from the local community and are from Mayan descent. The lush garden is kept by the very friendly Juanito, the resident gardener and local shaman. If you want to find a natural cure to one of your ailments, he'll gladly find you a solution in the hotel grounds. We were happy to find that aloe vera plants were in abundance for our sunburns.
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The hotel is also very active in preserving the turtles that come to its shores to lay their eggs. The hotel sponsors 3 turtle conservationists who live rent-free in camper vans on the property. They patrol the area for turtle eggs and if nests are laid on paths where hotel guests can step on them, the eggs are carefully relocated to a nesting cage where they can safely incubate. From May to October, 120 turtles came onto the shores of the hotel's beach to lay eggs. The hatching will occur later this summer.
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The hotel guests also receive a wooden hard-carved turtle made by Mayan artisans as a parting gift. The turtles are made of sustainably harvested wood.
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Breakfast was included with our stay and we had a selection of local fresh fruits, fresh juice and coffee/tea. My favorite was the very delicious and soft homemade bread that we had with a local fruit preserve and butter.
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We also sat on the beach and ordered from the hotel's restaurant Casa Banana. We had their lunch speciality - guacamole, chips and the seafood ceviche - which were all excellent.
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The ceviche in particular was one of the best that I've ever tasted.
Seafood Ceviche
We rented bikes from Iguana Bike Shop and explored the area and the town.
Iguana Bikes
We biked to a place called La Vita e Bella to have some Italian food (excellent penne with shrimp) before we headed to the ruins.
La Vita e Bella Tulum
Very important:Be sure to bring a bottle of water with you during the bike ride, it gets really hot! I ended up needing to lie down for a moment to recover from the heat.
Dehydration
For a taste of real, authentic local life, here's a list of local hole-in-the-wall eats in town that were recommended to us by Mariela, the Operational Manager of Nueva Vida:El Curondero (a bar), El Camello (for the seafood), La Nave and El Asadero.
There are three cenotes located only a short bike ride away from the hotel (Cenote Encantado, Cenote Beh Ha and Cenote Tercer Cielo). Not all the cenotes were open due to the rains, but we were able to rent a kayak and snorkeling equipment for a hundred pesos (about US$10) and explore Cenote Encantado.
Afterwards, we stopped at a shop to purchase some Mayan Clay that detoxes your skin, regenerates cells, and relieves stress from Mayan Clay Spaand walked around the beach for an hour before jumping into the ocean to wash it all off. Our skin definitely felt good after being encased in sunbaked clay for that long. It was a rejuvenating weekend indeed for our bodies, minds and spirit.
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All the photos of my stay at Nueva Vida de Ramiro were either taken by me or Daniel Para Mata. I hope you enjoy them! xoxoxo
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FreshTraveler Beauty Review: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
I believe in feeling your best (and looking your best) when you travel so I asked my best friend since middle school, Achara Kirk, an actress and model based in LA who is an incredible beauty product junkie (she always had the biggest and heaviest make up bag when we were growing up!) to review some travel sized beauty products for my blog. So watch this space for more natural and effective travel-sized products that enhance your natural beauty and you can bring with you everywhere.
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
Guest Post by Achara Kirk
When I heard that Uban Decay was releasing their Naked Basics eye palette I wanted to jump up and down with joy. Now here was an eye palette that featured all matte, neutral shades and didn't have all of that glitter and sparkle that seems to dominate in most make-up palettes. Don't get me wrong – I enjoy a bit of glitz and glamor in my make-up when I'm going to hit the town, but for everyday I like to keep it clean and simple and the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette delivers exactly that.
At first glance the palette is slim and sexy and the perfect size for travelling. It has a nice metallic sheen and suede like feel which makes it feel oh so luxurious when you hold it in your hand.
Inside, there is a large mirror which is perfect for on the go applications. The compact features seven beautiful complementary matte shades, including four never before seen colours.
The Urban Decay website describes the colours as follows:
“Venus (soft, off-white demi-matte), Foxy (cream bisque matte), Walk of Shame (very light nude matte), Naked2 (taupe matte), Faint (warm, dusty brown matte) and Crave (deepest, darkest brown/black matte).”
This description of the colours is spot on. My favorites are Naked2 and Faint, which I use to contour my eyes and then Venus to add some highlights to my eyelid and brow bone and finally a little bit of Crave to line my eyes. And voila! A perfectly gorgeous doe-eyed look for the day.
All of the eye shadows have the velvety smooth and pigment rich finish that I have come to love and associate with Urban Decay. The shadows blend beautifully and they are wonderful for contouring and enhancing your eyes. The colors work well for a natural day look and you can build it up with the darker shades for a sultry, smoky night time look. These shades work well on my dark brown eyes and would also compliment lighter coloured eyes and really make them pop. So basically, it works for everyone!
The Urban Decay Naked Basics palette will definitely make it into my travel make-up bag as it has everything that I need to create a gorgeous everyday look (although I will probably also pack a few other more colorful or sparkly eye shadows for those nights when I need a bit more pizazz). You can buy this palette at Sephora, Ulta and at www.UrbanDecay.com. And best of all this little beauty comes with a totally affordable price tag too – only $27! Bargain!
Half Thai half British actress and model currently based in Los Angeles. Yoga enthusiast and puppy lover. Obsessed with all things make-up and beauty related, especially products that are both natural AND effective. I believe that your make-up and beauty regime should work to enhance you've naturally got and make you look good and feel great about yourself.
My Very First TBEX Travel Blogger Conference + A Quick Guide to Follow Worthy Bloggers!
It's been more than a week and I'm already nostalgic for TBEX. It was a breath of fresh air to be in a room of people who were just as crazy as me. It was really refreshing to be in a roomful of other individuals who fully understood my addiction. It felt amazing to not have to explain that this wanderlust of mine was not just "a phase" that was going to go away until I finally found "a grown up job". It felt really good to be with people who understood that travel was not just a luxury, but a much needed call to be open-minded and open-hearted in an increasingly global society.
I know that this collection of ragmatag travel bloggers and video bloggers (both veteran and newbies) that I met at TBEX were into chronicling their travels because, just like me, they truly loved exploring the world and sharing all their eye-opening adventures. I can't express how lovely, accessible, and warm-hearted everyone was.
Here's a list of follow-worthy Travel Vloggers and Bloggers I admire and hung out with at TBEX. Check out their awesome stuff! (in alphabetical order by first name)
Alexandra Baackes of Alex in Wanderland, a travel and diving blog that's a guide to working and playing all over the world.
Alicia Taggio of My Life Untethered, a social media specialist and New Media producer based in Canada who is fueled by tea, travel and hustle.
Ashley Castle of Travels with Castle, an AFAR ambassador living life inspired through the lens of travel.
Brock of BackPack with Brock, an adventure coach and backpacker extraordinaire.
Calin O'Neil of Travel Yourself, a world travelers web series.
Charu Suri of Butterfly Diary, an online magazine, focusing on travel as a transformative experience.
Chris Staudinger and Tawny Clark of Captain and Clark, the one and only Modern Cartographers.
Courtney Scott Radovanovic,Travelocity Senior Travel Editor, as well as Producer & Host of Travelocity's Let's Roam Show
David Lee of GoBackPacking.com, an amazing around the world travel guide.
Ethan Gelber, founder and editor of The Travel Word, that showcases local, sustainable and responsible travel.
Gareth Leonard of Tourist 2 Townie, chronicling his quest to travel like a local.
Jessie Festa of Jessie on a Journey, a kickass girl's guide to adventuring.
Julia Rosien of GoGirlFriend.com, a blog to inspire intelligent women to travel smarter.
Juliana Broste, a travel vlogger and Denver-Based Video Journalist, Producer, Writer, Shooter, and Editor.
Jodie Ettenburg of Legal Nomads, a former lawyer from Montreal currently eating her way around the world.
Kate Thomas of TravelwithKate.com, an online host and media producer who susses out what the locals know in her travel web series.
Kelley Ferro, the Travel Hostess with the Travel Mostest of TripFilms
Kristen Sarah of HopScotchtheGlobe.com featuring travel tales from an adventure junkie and her traveling pants.
Lisa Cohen of Make Me Hungry, a fresh food blog worth salivating about.
Luke Armstrong, the vagabond behind Travel. Write. Sing.
Matt Stabile, editor of The Expeditioner, a travel mag for the avid traveler.
Maria Laborde of LatinAbroad.com, a Spanish Translator and Digital Marketing extraordinaire, this Latin diva is spreading her spiciness all over the world.
Mickela Mallozzi of Travel Bare Feet, a webseries where she penetrates into local culture, one dance at a time.
Mike Corey of Kick the Grind, the beautifully filmed video blog of a breakdancing biologist at heart.
Mike Shubic of Mike's Road Trip, where you can find hidden gems of the road.
Monica Suma of Whimsical Tales of Travel & Lifestyle, a travel writer, blogger and social media maven who can't sit still.
Nadine Sykora of Hey Nadine, a video blogger, world traveler and internet personality.
Nathan Fluellen of World Wide Nate, a lifestyle travel show that's A Guide to Living a Global Lifestyle
Ryan Van Duzer of Duzer TV, a sportsman, adventurer and of course, a paradise hunter.
Ross Borden, CEO of MatadorNetwork -- the world's largest independent travel online publisher
(if I missed out anyone, please just gently but firmly scold me in the comments section below and I will promptly add you!)
I was finally able to meet so many of the Travel Vloggers that I've only seen online. I am SUPER HONORED to be imitated in this video by put together Kristen Sarah of HopScotchtheGlobe.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/ftL-XyY0Ls8]
TBEX Takeaways
Other than the new friendships with my fellow adventurers, I made loads of contacts with tourism boards, travel companies and got loads of FREE stuff (which is ALWAYS nice). So overall, this conference was very fruitful. Check out the video (below) I edited of my TBEX experience and some of my favorite things from my TBEX goody bag. Watch til the end you'll get the chance to win one of my favorite items - a cable wrap bag from STM Bags!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWbqnHFumv0]
Hope to see you at the next TBEX!
Safe travels! (and to quote Mike Corey of KicktheGrind.tv, "but not too safe because that's boring.") xoxoxoxo
Get it Fresh! The FreshTraveler Newsletter!
Hey guys, Sorry that I've been a bit MIA from my WordPress blog. I've been traveling and hard at work on my revamping my blog and launching my newsletter! I've been spending that last few weeks scouring templates, logos, fonts just to make it ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. And after all my hard work, it's finally done! I would like to present to you, my newsletter and please sign up for monthly updates!
If you missed it - Click here to read the Costa Rica issue!
Find Your Niche And Build Your Blog Into A Business
Running my blog is like having a tamagotchi. I need to keep feeding it with digital content or else it will die.
I think about and worry about my blog constantly. I think about the type of "food" that I should feed this digital creature so that it becomes the resource that I want it to "grow up" to be. Yessir, my blog is my baby.
So...I'm very selective of what I feed it. Here's my advice on feeding your blog. Do not feed it stuff that you yourself don't want to eat.
Find your niche.
This should come authentically from who you are. I don't like phonies and I think most people can spot a phony from miles away. You may have to do a bit of soul-searching to find this and confront truths and realities that you didn't want to face. And don't just look to what's popular and copy them. Copy their business strategies maybe but not their content. Be original. Be unique. Again, I will repeat: Do not be a phony. Even if you think there are people who will not like you for who you are, who cares? It's not really your problem. Their friendship preference is their own concern. Don't waste your time. It's better to be liked for who you really are anyway.
Here's my story. In terms of travel blogs, I see a lot of websites that are about teaching English in Thailand and all these other foreign countries and backpacking solo throughout South America and having wild parties on the beach, dancing with fire-dancers, getting drunk at full moon parties and such. When I first started travel blogging, I have to admit that I was intimidated by this raucous group of traveling heathens (and I say that lovingly) and I was often challenged by my fellow traveler friends to follow in their footsteps to sleep on the floor of the subway or spend a night in a hammock and hitchhike across South America without knowing a lick of Spanish. So I tried it. I slept in a raw foods food truck. I traveled with no money. I went to Costa Rica knowing only a few sentences in Spanish. I've danced in drum circles with people high on hallucinogenics. But in the end, something about all of this travel felt empty to me. It was not me. I was trying to be something I was not.
So I made a list of how I really like to travel. I like visiting friends and family when I travel. I love markets and organic food. I love yoga. I love children. I love boutique hotels. I love visiting not-for-profits and art museums. I love uncrowded beaches and I love hanging out with animals in the wild (caged animals make me sad) and rolling around in nature without the influence of drugs. I'm not against experimentation or anything, but it's just not my thing. Now write a list of how you like to travel, no judgment, no limitations.
Sometimes it takes being with people who have the opposite travel style to figure out what your own travel style is.
I was traveling in Nicaragua, on the way to volcano boarding (which is super awesome by the way!), when a fellow traveler chatted with me. He was a backpacker passing through and asked me whether I was backpacking too. I said no. I was in Nicaragua for 15 days working on a project and I didn't even really own a backpack. I have a rolling luggage - mostly because of my back and spine problems.
Suddenly, I was no longer cool. There was silence between us and it was not the comfortable kind. I tried to recover from the silence by continuing the conversation, but the next thing that tumbled out of my mouth was that it was really my second time staying at a hostel and the first time I really hated it. I found it noisy and I couldn't sleep, which would make me really grumpy. I usually like staying at boutique hotels. Oh, that made it even worse. I was shunned by this backpacker. I wasn't trying to be pretentious. I felt ostracized because I was honest.
A very good backpacker friend said to me in jest that the way I was traveling was "too prissy" and "too feminine" for his taste. But you know what, when I look at myself in the mirror, that's what I am: a female and I like to travel and you know what, I also like to go shopping for (gasp) nice clothes, artwork and jewelry that are made by local designers and artisans so I can give gifts to my friends when I come back home. Okay, I'm not the most frugal person ever, but I don't go overboard with my spending either. I like a good deal. I am willing to pay a little bit more for better value. Note: that backpacker friend and I are still friends and we respect each other's differences.
So although I totally respect the culture of backpacking (because it really is an awesome eye-opening culture), I came to terms with the fact that I was not a cool counter-culture thrifty backpacker. But I had to experience it a little bit to know that it wasn't me.
Define your niche.
I try to define my travel style in a tweet (I like the 140-character limitation): "unique and memorable adventurous travel with a small carbon footprint in often-hidden boutique properties off-the-beaten-path" (that's 125 characters). Now try it for yourself. Try labeling your travel style in 140 characters or less. It's not easy and it's probably going to change about seven to fifteen times, but it's a starting point nonetheless.
Become an expert at your niche and write about it.
If you're obsessed with cars, the gym, surfing, stuffed animals, whatever your passion is, you're most probably going to be already reading a lot of literature about it and you're probably living it. Share articles and the knowledge that you've gain from your research and also your real-life experiences with others. In fact, talk and write about it so much that you're known as the "surfing guy" or the "bacon maple syrup donut girl". I'm aiming to be that "off the beaten path follow your bliss travel girl".
My advice here is find the things that you are naturally attracted to and write about those things. Your passion will shine through in your writing. Be authentic and write as if you were writing a postcard to a friend.
Take your niche and build a business model around it.
I originally started my blog as a portfolio site for my screenwriting work and to promote a different type of travel but I love FreshTraveler so much that now I want to do so much more with it, so I am building a business around it.
At my panel at the ASJA conference on Building Your Business Through Travel Blogging, I mentioned that if you want to make a living off your travel blog, you have to think of it long term, as a marathon run, as a business.
I work with a business coach to get FreshTraveler into shape. It really helps to have a sounding board or just someone to keep me in check and make sure my hair-brained ideas are also applicable in real life.
In choosing your business coach, I say go with your gut. If the relationship clicks and there is chemistry go for it. If not, drop it and keep looking. Also, find someone who understands what you're all about. My business coach is a female who is around my age who is into holistic practices and following your bliss. She understands my irrational, seemingly illogical decision-making process and she gets me in a way that no one else does. And because she understands my values at the core, she has helped me push FreshTraveler into a direction that I want. Not to any one cookie cutter direction.
If you need a push and a shove to find your direction (oh, and a vacation!!!), I invite you apply to the Trailblazer's Retreat that I will be at in Costa Rica on September 7-14th, 2013. It's a fun way to intensively figure out your direction (whether you still have to define your business or are looking to rebrand an existing business) and get a vacation out of it as well! It's a "workcation". I personally love "workcations". Click here for a great article on the benefits of "workcations" from LearnVest.
The Trailblazer's Retreat is a launching pad to help you create or recreate your DREAM BUSINESS. It's run by my phenomenal business coach Lynan Saperstein who has really been integral in encouraging me to push FreshTraveler in the direction that I want to go.
Here's my testimonial about her:
"You know Freud's id, ego and super ego? Lynan's your ego externalized. Organized, realistic and fearless, she'll tell you everything that you need to get things done without any bullshit and she'll be up in your face until you get the tasks done. She's your brunch buddy, best friend, soccer mom, cheerleader, business coach, shrink and a personal trainer wrapped in one. She intuitively knows what you need to get things done and she'll give it to you straight. She'll help you get over your hurdles, both emotionally and mentally to help you balance your business and your personal life. Lynan will be there to cheer you on or beat you up (whichever one is necessary at that moment) until you cross that finish line. A must-have coach in your life: When she's started with you, you wonder how you'll ever function without her. But no worries. Once she's done with you, you'll have all the self-confidence and the self-sufficiency to continue growing as a business and as a person."
I stand by this testimonial a million %. By the end of the TrailBlazer's Retreat, Lynan GUARANTEES you will not only have a clearer vision of your business, you'll have a PLAN of how you're going to execute it. I know that I definitely did after my sessions with her.
I will be at the Trailblazer's Retreat teaching a workshop on how to tell a compelling story using any device that shoots video. This can be about your business, or we can even go on an adventure and shoot a travel video! You don't need a fancy camera to start video blogging. Just bring your simple point and shoot camera, Iphone, Samsung Galaxy and your laptop. But sign up quick, there are only 30 spots and I know they will fill up! When you apply, make sure you mention that you heard about the retreat through me! I would LOVE to see you there.
ADDED BONUS! During your stay, you'll get a personalized one-on-one consultation with me to show you how easy it is and ways that you can incorporate videos into your current blog or business plan... and oh, did I mention, you'll have an AMAZING vacation as well? :) I have photos from my last trip down there to prove it!
What are you waiting for? A sign? Here's a sign (see below). Now sign up! :)
Hope to see you there! And even if you can't make the retreat, Lynan offers consultations so you can reach out to her independently to see if you guys are a good fit. If it turns out you're not, she has a network of other coaches she can reach out to.
As for me, I also offer video and writing services, classes, and consultations. A 15 minute SKYPE consultation is completely FREE, so drop me an email at tricia.serrano@gmail.com and we can schedule an appointment. Don't be shy! I want to help you achieve your dreams!
Talk to you soon! :)
xoxo
Patricia
[Photo Essay] "Finding Myself" at Blue Osa Yoga Resort in Costa Rica
No phone, no air-condition, a beach with no people. This was exactly what I needed to get away from the usual busy, busy, busy of my life in New York and rushing around from airport to airport catching plane after plane… I needed to slow down and remember who I was again. The beach brought back memories of my childhood home. Raised by the beach at what was the sleepy resort town of Pattaya Beach in Thailand, I remember a lot of my early childhood spent on the beach, in the water and ordering room service at a place that was a lot like Blue Osa.
Now that I was almost 30, and spending almost 10 years in the United States, 6 years of that in university getting my Bachelors and my Masters, I needed to reconnect with who I really was inside. So I spent time writing some poetry:
With head in the sky and my feet on the ground. I know that I'm safe and sound.
Who I am has nothing to do with how I look, my degrees, resume, or the amount in my bank account.
I know my value is measured by my character and drive.
I'm a girl in love with the world and I'm alive.
It's taken a while, but I've allowed myself to be just myself without judgement and I wanted to build a business around who I authentically am. I am doing it.
Out of the rainforest, I emerged anew and rejuvenated. More grounded and ready to rock it. The biggest change from this much needed time to myself was that I changed my position at FreshTraveler from "Host, Writer and Producer" to "CEO and Founder". I have bigger dreams and ambitions for my business. I realized I was thinking too small and playing it too safe. I didn't just want a web series or a blog. I didn't just want to exist online. I want my brand to also exist in reality. I want to build a lifestyle brand and as I embark on that exciting journey, I am more grounded stronger than ever to face any challenge.
Instead of taking what life gives and throws at me, I realized I can CREATE my life as anything that I want and ANYTHING is possible. So here I am, creating my ideal life - online and in real life - as a FreshTraveler.
And with that, I release my first photo essay of my stay at Blue Osa Yoga Resort and Spa. The photos were taken either by me or Lynan Saperstein. Hope you enjoy them! xo
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Riding a Pedicab During Rush Hour in New York City
4.30pm is the worst time to hail a cab in New York City. My advice: take a pedicab instead. A pedicab, one of those bicycle powered rickshaws is a summer staple of Manhattan. Not only are they eco-friendly and fun to ride in, they can also be your knight in shining armor.
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Here's my pedicab to the rescue story...
Flashback to the summer of 2012: It's 4:45pm. It’s raining and it’s 15 minutes until my bus leaves for DC. I’ve been standing outside trying to hail a cab for 25 mins. Everyone’s off duty and I’m infuriated. I’m having a heart attack because I’m going to miss the last Tripper bus of the day going to Arlington, VA where I’m supposed to meet my friend Anna. And I already missed the earlier bus that I was supposed to catch. Argh. Off-duty cab after off-duty cab and another 5 minutes pass me by. 10 mins left until my bus leaves! I’m not sure what to do anymore. My clothes are soaked and I’m screaming inside. Suddenly, the solution appears. Low and behold, a pedicab pulls up before me.
I only need to go 3 avenues away, I tell him. 30 bucks, he says. I only have 20. He says 25. I only have 20 in cash and I need to catch my bus pronto.
Although a cab is much cheaper, I’d pay extra for the human powered vehicle as long as I don’t miss my bus!!!
He helps me put my two suitcases for my month long Best of the Road trip on his little vehicle and pedals his mighty legs through the sheets of rain and zig zagging through congested traffic and even through a red light. Go Mr. Pedicab Man!
We get to my bus 2 mins shy of it’s departure. Whew! A BIG thank you to Mr. Pedicab Man. I am eternally grateful.
FreshTraveler Travel Blogging FAQ
As promised to those of you who attended the "So You Want to Build Your Business Through Travel Blogging" session at the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)’s 42nd Annual Writer's Conference at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, here are a list of questions covered (and more) during the panel. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to leave it in the comments section. When and why did you start blogging at Fresh Traveler? What were you doing professionally before that? Is your blog a full-time venture?
I bought the domain name FreshTraveler.com when I was a senior at Emerson College and developed it for a senior thesis project. I wanted to create an online series that featured off the beaten path adventures. For the whole story, read this post: About FreshTraveler: My Path to Building a Meaningful Life that is Authentically Mine
I put the blog on hold while I pursued my MFA and after I quit my job, pursued it full time – working freelance to support it mostly doing production work. But I pursue freelance work because I wanted to have flexibility to travel and work with hotels on their marketing – I create content (written, photos, and videos) for hotels and other tour operators to use for their online promotion. This is called branded content.
Then, I create additional material for my blog – separate from what I create for them. I want to maintain the credibility of my blog being something that I experience organically. I don’t want someone to pay me to say something I don’t mean. I don’t accept that. That’s not credible travel journalism.
How do you arrange travel? Did you go on FAM trips and other types of sponsored travel?
So, first of all, a FAM trip is familiarization trip. According to the Travel Industry Dictionary, it's a low-cost or free trip or tour offered to travel agents by a supplier or group of suppliers to familiarize the agents with their destination and services. Example, a resort property or group of hotels and restaurants in Aruba might team up with an airline or tour operator to offer a discount FAM trip to the resort or to Aruba.
I’ve gone on FAM trips (more when I first started) and I am subscribed to a few newsletters that offer low cost trips for people in the travel industry. There are pros and cons. Pros, FREE TRIP, (woo hoo!) everyone likes that. CON: You’re on their schedule. I don’t like that. Especially if I am doing video. I talk to the organizer and tell them up front that we’re making videos and that we need more time to explore.
The next model I am working on is working in conjunction with a travel company/tourism board and doing my own individual press trips – getting their suggestions but also doing my own research online, then crafting an itinerary based on how I want the series of videos to be like.
I think of each of my trips as a film project with three phases - pre-production, production, and post-production phases. I used to shoot doc style – which means hours and hours of rolling the camera but now I prefer traveling with an itinerary. Especially if we are there for only a set number of days and if the videos that I make are only going to be 3 mins long. I just need to make sure that I have enough b-roll and camera coverage.
I like working on a sponsorship model. It’s much easier getting people to sponsor accommodations and meals than airfare. Although for Mauiva AirCruise, we got everything covered. Airfare, meals and hotel.
So far, I haven’t been sponsored individually by an airline although I would like to be, I have been on group trips that have been sponsored by an airline. Also, if you work with Tourism Boards, they can get you that connection to the properties or stores that you want to go to, but you have to do the convincing that you’re worth their dime.
Have you run ads and / or sponsored posts on your blog? Can you talk about how these work in general terms, and how much revenue they can reasonably generate?
No. I will not run ads or sponsored posts on my blog. I will take sponsors for video content.
What other benefits did you enjoy as an independent travel blogger?
I control what I write. I control the video production on my blog. This is important to me.
Tell us about other opportunities which have resulted from exposure through your blog.
I have received work offers – both copywriting and video, from the content that is on my blog and it is much easier to work with Travel and Tourism Boards when you can show them what you do with the content.
How did you begin working with “Best of the Road” and the Travel Channel? How did they discover you? How did you convince them that your blogging experience would be a benefit to being chosen for the program?
For Best of the Road, I submitted an audition video and they picked us.
What was your experience with that program, and how were you compensated?
We were not paid in cash. We were sponsored but the exposure was huge, especially for a young blogger. I went from a brand new blog with 45 likes to 400 in a few months without needing to harass people on a daily basis. Also, it really helped establish my credibility as a travel blogger and put me in front of people who saw what kind of work I could produce.
What other work do you do writing about travel?
I guest post on other people's blogs and websites. I also copy write for travel related products like apps and hotel websites. I also answer a lot of emails about travel as I am now everyone's travel advisor.
How do find travel writing gigs? What sources do you go to? What kind of pay can someone expect from these assignments?
You pitch to travel magazines, websites, etc. Here are some articles to help you craft your pitch.
How to Pitch a Travel Magazine from Vagabundo Magazine
The Do’s And Don’ts Of Submitting To Online Travel Magazines from Matador Network
Some magazines like Travel and Leisure have a special format to follow, so my advice is to follow it.
I know it may be scary to write your first one but just do it! If you want a one-on-one tutorial, I also offer sessions via skype or in person if you are in New York City. Just email me at tricia.serrano@gmail.com for rates.
Depending on what you're good a doing, you can get paid for your skill. I emphasize your skill because whatever that is going to support you financially while you build your blog.
Here are some links to help you:
Odesk and Elance has freelance writing gigs – travel apps, blog posts, copy, hotel descriptions, etc. You just set up a profile or you search for jobs. One of the jobs I applied for was writing Halloween Costume copy. Now that was fun.
If you're outgoing and like people you can be a tour guide. Vayable is a platform where you can design your own tour and set your own price.
If you're more of a slow traveller and like spending more than a few months in a location, here's the Facebook group for you - Modern Day Nomads. I <3 them! I've applied to several of their freelance gigs. They have everything from long term to short term jobs as well as artist grants and even housesitting posts!
Matador is a great place to take any travel related course. They also have this great travel article: 20 Awesome Travel Jobs and How To Get Them.
I also use the Travel Writing Round Up from this awesome blog Caroline in the City to look for travel writing opportunities.
If you're really serious about leading a nomadic life and traveling full time. Here's a link to more resources that I've collected.
Please explain how these writing jobs fit into the “bigger picture” of your overall revenue-generation model.
These jobs float you but also allow a flexible schedule where you can take care of your blog. I sometime work on 2 computers, one to monitor my blog and the other to work on my PAID assignment.
It was important for me to establish myself as an expert in something for people to listen to anything I was saying regarding travel or screenwriting or filmmaking so a gig like writing for a travel app that encouraged me to research off the beaten path restaurants, etc. just increased my knowledge base AND I got paid for it. You get paid more for video work than you do writing. In writing, you get paid more for apps and copywriting than you do for writing articles most of the time. But that really depends on the magazine or the site that you are writing for.
Have you changed to a Tumblr format recently? (I remember it being a more traditional blog last year, with longer posts, although I could be mistaken). If so, why did you make that change? Is it part of a time-saving strategy, perhaps?
I have a tumblr but I also have wordpress. The Best of the Road blog was hosted on Wordpress on their own blog. I learned a lot from blogging for them. I originally started off with tumblr because I simply wanted to do video production work but now I am writing more and wordpress is a better place to showcase my writing and it’s much more social media friendly.
What is the connection between travel blogging and screenwriting? Has travel made you a better writer and/or storyteller? Have you found inspiration on your travels?
In my videos, I tell a travel story visually. It’s a series of beautiful shots that are strung together with a story. I think people remember stories more than a series of pretty shots although it is arguable that online people like looking at non-sequential videos that don’t necessarily tell a story. I try to balance it and look at it as a challenge in short form visual storytelling. I also use it as a test and a challenge to learn from for when I want to make my own full length features.
What would you tell someone just beginning a travel blog? What should they realistically expect?
A blog is a platform. It’s a soap box. There’s something you want to say and you say it there.
It takes TIME to grow. Experiment but also know what you want. Think about the end goal but stay consistent with your message.
I wanted to get a TV show, but also to build a lifestyle brand FreshTraveler – a new type of travelista or internationalista who travels globally and shops locally. You have to have products to sell offline or online.
Look at your blog as a business. Matthew Kepnes of NomadicMatt.com once wrote that blogging was like owning a restaurant. The blog is the window and you have to have menu items for your customers to order from. Here's a great article he wrote called An Open Letter To Travel Bloggers Who Want To Make Money.
You need to have a niche. I wanted to encourage a different type of travel. A spontaneous, off the beaten path, fresh kind of travel and encouraging more people to take risks and get out of their comfort zone and enjoy life. Like visiting an organic farm in the middle of the desert in Baja, California. But how do I do this: by showing people that it’s possible and not unsafe and how much fun I have while I do this and then also making it easy for them to find those adventures.
How did you go about securing a sponsorship from Rand McNally, tourism boards, and others? Put another way… how do you get people to pay you to travel and write?
I enter a lot of video contests. As for securing a sponsorship from Rand McNally, I made an audition video for the contest. I also get on FAM trips (those are press trips that tourism boards in conjunction with marketing agencies put together) to give different sorts of press a taste of the country. I get invited to these trips, usually after you develop a relationship with the marketing or public relations people. Other ways that I have gotten to travel is to reach out to properties that I like boutique hotels and tour companies that I like to see if they can sponsor me while I am on a trip there. I tend to like these individual press trips better because then I don’t have to follow a set tour schedule because it takes time to do video.
Is travel writing your primary source of work or do you combine it with other income sources?
It’s hard to make money just writing. I travel write, copy write and make films. I make most of my money with script consulting and my video production work. You can also make $ selling stock footage. Here's a great article from Lights Online Film School on How to Sell Stock Video Footage.
You specialize in video blogging. What advice can you offer someone about how to get started with vlogging if they’ve never done it? Do they need expensive equipment? What software do you use to edit the videos?
You don’t need expensive equipment. You can even use a smart phone for your blogs. I use Final Cut X to edit but you can use iMovie or Abode Premiere. My advice is to just do it. I think a lot of people stop themselves because they are intimidated that the footage is going to look bad or the sound is going to be bad if they don’t know what they are doing. I say collect the footage first and then fix it in post-production or delete it and retake. That's the magic of modern movie-making.
What is the value of a vlog over a traditional text-based blog?
There are a few things. First of all, you are able to connect with your intended audience in a way that you can’t with text. You are able to have your followers connect with you vicariously not just through writing but by experiencing the travel “with” you. An example of a video that does this particularly well is when I went kayaking with dogs in Costa Rica.
SEO wise, content with video often appears higher on the google ranking.
In your opinion, what are the best markets for travel writers (and is there more available than travel magazines)?
It really depends on what your interest is in writing. But I really believe that you have to find your niche and your special angle and lens on travel. Other kinds of magazines (business, automobiles) have travel sections that you can also write for. I have found in my experience that the best markets for me are the off-the-beaten-path unexplored unchartered territories because they are dying for the exposure. I just got back from an individual press trip to Cabo in Baja California and the tourism board was really excited to work with me because I told them that I was going to Cabo but I did NOT want the Spring Break experience. I wanted the off the beaten path experience and they were really excited to direct me to less explored parts of Baja like the beaches of La Paz or the small town of Todos Santos. But they were also probably really excited because I am going to do a film screening of the short film of my travels in New York later this year.
How do you pick the next location you’ll travel to and write about?
Well, my goal is to travel the whole globe according to the FreshTraveler ethos which is off the beaten path for a fresh mind, body and spirit. But when I pick the next location, I always ask myself these questions.
1) have I been there yet?
2) is there an angle here that is local and unique?
3) is it visually interesting?
I tend to like active adventures because they are more fun to film and edit. The more movement, the better. Also, the crazier, the better. I see what opportunities come up and I weigh them against each other. I get invitations to certain places by the press or from friends. I tend to favor the travels with my friends and the individual press trips over the FAM trips (although FAM trips are a great way to meet other travel writers so I don’t discount them) because you have more control over your schedule and also not all people want to be on camera so that's a problem or else there's the people who always want to be on camera and that's a different problem altogether. And oh, I also do an airfare check and if I see a cheap flight to a destination that I've always wanted to go to and I'm free to go, I buy the ticket first and worry about where I am going to stay later.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comments below and I will answer them.
So You Want to Be A Nomad? Here's A List of Online Resources
You've decided that you're a hundred percent ready to live that gypsy wanderer life that you've always wanted. You've sold your stuff or are in the process of selling everything you own so you can be merrily free of all possessions, except your laptop and internet connection. Or you want to be nomadic with your clan. Whatever your reasons are, there are thousands and thousands of different online resources to help you.
Although I travel quite a lot, I haven't committed to being a full nomad yet. Although it's been quite tempting, I often miss New York City and crave that sense of community of spending time with friends and family. But I'm compiling this list of online resources in no particular order, just in case I want to get up and go.
I'm going to continuously be adding on to this list so come back for more and if you have any ones to contribute, leave it in the comments below and I'll incorporate it into this list.
Nomadtopia - practical advice and inspiration (Amy Scott's website)
Nomadtopia Bookstore
Amy's interview with Helen Hunter Mackenzie about living and working anywhere in the world
Suitcase Entrepreneur - tools to run your business from anywhere
http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/
Location Independent - the original website and creators of the term "location independent professionals"
http://locationindependent.com/
Location Rebel - from Sean Ogle of Location 180
Working Couples
http://www.simplyhired.ca/a/jobs/list/q-couple
House-sitting, Home Exchange, Places to Stay
http://www.trustedhousesitters.com
http://www.housesittingperfected.com
plus local listings on www.craigslist.com or www.kijiji.ca
Possible leads:
CoolJobsCanada.com (primarily hospitality industry jobs)
ModernDayNomads Facebook Group
Freelance Work Online
Location-Specific
Apartments in Buenos Aires: http://www.bytargentina.com/re/propview.php?view=5143
Location Independence/Long-Term Travel with Kids
http://www.soultravelers3.com/
http://www.familygonefree.com/
http://familyonbikes.org/blog/
http://www.discovershareinspire.com/
http://www.vagabondfamily.org/
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=4438
Homeschooling, Unschooling, Alternative Education
Book: The New Global Student, by Maya Frost: http://mayafrost.com/new-global-student-book.htm
Medical/Travel insurance
http://worldnomads.com - travel/emergency insurance (Amy Scott is using)
http://www.integraglobal.com/ - comprehensive int'l insurance outside US/Canada (Carrie McKeegan uses)
45 Jobs you can do while traveling
Watch Out for These Buggers: Green Chinches in the Costa Rican Jungle
After spending a month in the Costa Rican jungle, I have emerged with several bug bites. Some have been kinder to my skin than others, but by worst is the acidic spray of the Costa Rican Chinche - pronounced CHEEN-CHE (as in Che Guevara).
It's a green little bugger that wandered onto my laptop without warning while I was working one night.
I thought, oh what a cute little grasshopper. I didn't even try to kill it or get it away from me. I thought, no big deal.
Boy, was I WRONG.
Here's a closer look at this "cute little grasshopper"
I know what you're thinking: Who knew a little bug with such an innocent face could cause such intense anger in this travel blogger?
Well, here's more about this little green freak:
- it's droppings are EXTREMELY ACIDIC. I felt like battery acid was thrown on my leg. That did not feel good AT ALL.
- it causes SEVERE skin irritations that HURT and BLISTER (see photo below)
I KNOW, RIGHT?!! What a damper on my vacay! What the f**8 little insecto verde, couldn't you piss on someone else?
So, here was my experience: the spots first turn red, then bluish the next day, and then all the skin far around the spot gets full of blisters (yucky, yucky, yucky and ouch, ouch, ouch!) and after a week or so, it peels off.
GOOD NEWS though: you will survive! Although its droppings hurt, they are not poisonous. Two weeks after the first signs of my rash, it healed completely without any scarring. Thank goodness. I was contemplating what sort of tribal tattoo design I would get just in the case it did scar horribly.
During my week of agonizing itchiness, I sprayed my blistering skin with vinegar to dry it out and I used this Chinese calamine lotion, Piyan Ping Ointment (see picture below) to soothe the irritation so that I wouldn't scratch.
It's very important that you properly protect yourself from bugs when you travel.
I'm not a big fan of DEET so I use natural methods to ward off bugs. I use anything LEMONGRASS on my body. I really liked this Costa Rican-made eco-friendly Lemongrass Body Butter from Rainforest Solutions (see the leftmost jar in the photo below) that I picked up here. Also if you have any orange or lemon peels, rub them all over yourself. Bugs don't like citrus peels.
Anyway, I hope you learn from my experience and be weary of these green little acid-spraying buggers while traversing Costa Rica. If you have any questions or similar stories to share about this creepy crawly, please feel free to shoot me an email.
And by the way, THIS is what a grasshopper looks like.
Wishing you safe (and fresh) travels! xoxoxo
It's Official! I'm A Panelist at the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)'s 42nd Annual Conference at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City!
"Me?" Holy beejeezus ohmigoodness! was the first thought that raced through my head when I came upon an email from Traci Suppa of Go BIG or Go Home Travel Blog inviting me to share my experience as a travel video blogger at a panel called
So You Want to ... Build Your Business Through Travel Blogging at the American Society of Journalists and Authors's 42nd Annual Writers' Conference (ASJA)
Holy crikey batmobile! was the next set of words that tumbled out of my mouth when I saw that the panel would feature other bloggers I admired such as Maria and Anthony Russo of Cultureist.com and Charu Suri of ButterflyDiary.com
Then, there was an entire hour of woah, is this for real? Really for real? For real, for realz?
After a couple more email exchanges between Traci and I, it finally dawned on me that is was.
After having the pleasure of attending so many panels on travel, writing and blogging and learning so much from all the amazing panelists I met, I am honored and more than happy to share what I learned during this DIY travel blogging journey.
So if you're planning on being at the conference that day, give me a hoot and holler. I'd love to see you!
And oh, here's the tagline for the conference: (lifted from their website)
"Whether you're a seasoned veteran, an enthusiastic rookie or somewhere in between, the 60-plus panels, workshops and special events at ASJA 2013 will supercharge your career."
Woo hoo! I'm going to help you supercharge your career!
We're gathering at 9am on Friday April 26th, 2013 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City (mid-town Manhattan to be exact)
Again, here are the deets - succinctly now (copy & paste-able):
ASJA 2013 Annual Writers Conference
9am Friday April 26th, 2013
45 EAST 45TH ST. AT MADISON AVENUE,
NEW YORK, NY 10017
Hope to see you there! Safe (and fresh) travels!
