Written by Aussie on the Road November 25, 2011 9 Comments

Sorry!

Over the past month my travels have meant that I haven’t had the same amount of time I’d usually have to browse blogs, read, comment, and otherwise drown myself in a sea of vicarious experience. Between the recent Queensland trip and the four-day weekend festivities of my 10 year high school reunion, I’ve been crazy busy.

And that’s only been made worse by the fact I’ve had no internet for the last week and I won’t get it back until next Thursday. It’s torture, I tells ya!

But that hasn’t meant I’ve had plenty of time to focus on other things.

Aside from playing a freakish amount of Skyrim, I’ve also returned to work on my novel. Over the course of two days I’ve managed to churn out over 12,000 words in two evenings.

There’s also been random fun shenanigans such as my first NBL game, Mel from The Mellyboo Project’s 25th birthday party, Travel Massive at Hart’s Pub last night, and getting settled into my new house in Sydney’s cruisier inner west.

Life is not at all shabby.

But damned if I don’t want to get out on the road again.

And reading this week’s bumper crop of 19 spanking new posts has only made it worse.

So go, dear friends, and read!

The Destination Reads

Eating in Korea by The Aussie Nomad

The Aussie Nomad and I seem to have a lot in common. We’re both Aussie bloggers. We are both named Chris. We both have ‘Aussie’ in our blog names and we both have a knack for charming pretty American girls.

Recently Chris was in my former stomping grounds of South Korea and tackled the language barrier and the sometimes odd Korean cuisine. Reading about his experiences made me homesick for my old homeland as well as reminding me how young and naive I was when I first stepped into a Korean restaurant and gestured wildly in an attempt to order food.

World Travel Market 2011 – A Smashing Success by Adventurous Kate

A new addition to my ever-growing weekly Google Reader rotation, Adventurous Kate leads the kind of life that I pretty much dream of. That includes the whole hitting on Jon Stewart thing because – let’s face it – the man is the epitome of awesome.

Kate’s recent visit to the World Travel Market paints a fun (if not a tad intimidating) picture of the kind of networking event that I someday hope to attend as I move towards further monetizing Aussie on the Road and lessening my involvement in the accursed real world.

Go read her stuff, and not just this post. There’s a lot of fun and implausible tales.

Skydiving Over the Great Barrier Reef at Mission Beach by C’est Christine

The pictures alone tell a bloody brilliant story. Christine’s adventures in Australia put my own twenty something year existence on the continent to shame, and she adds another unforgettable one to her list as she throws herself out of a plane over one of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders.

Sri Lankan Food: 40 of the Island’s Best by Migrationology

WARNING! Make sure you’ve eaten something before you read this one!

Mark from Migrationalogy counts down (with mouth-watering pictures) forty of the best local dishes from the island of Sri Lanka. It’s a real labor of love and testament to how much he must love the food, because each food also gets a short blurb about its flavors to compliment the picture.

I have a sudden urge to visit Sri Lanka for more than a one dayer…

Walking on a Glacier in Iceland by Don’t Ever Look Back

One of the most surreal experiences I’ve had while traveling has been hiking on Franz Josef Glacier in December last year. My amigos Amy and Keiron recently emulated the feat in cooler conditions while visiting Iceland and came back with some great pictures and an exciting story to tell.

Glacier hikes might sound like something that only Edmund Hilary can do, but they’re become increasingly accessible. A highly recommended activity and a highly recommended post.

Sydney: Sculpture by the Sea 2011 by Lakwatsera de Primera

I’m embarrassed to say I missed the opportunity to visit this very cool festival in my own backyard, but I was able to live vicariously through my friend Claire as she checked it out for herself.

I’m far from an artsy person, but her photos really make me regret missing out on the chance to check out some great artworks on one of Sydney (and Australia)’s most iconic stretches of sand and surf.

How I Almost Died on Dune 45 in the Namib Desert by Reclaiming My Future

I have the privilege of considering a great many beautiful and talented female bloggers my friends, and this week I’m happy to take Toni’s Recommended Reads virginity. I just hope I was gentle.

Toni recently had an envy inducingly good time touring Africa and has been sharing her adventures over the past few weeks. This one, about hiking up a massive sand dune and almost dying in the process (methinks she exaggerates) just adds more to my ever growing list of reasons to visit Africa.

Falling in Love with Sorrento by Seattle’s Travels

As a boy of 11 or 12, I remember my family holidayed in a dilapidated firetrap on the retirement mecca that is Bribie Island. My memories of the trip consist mostly of sibling squabbling, watching Cadfael in the dingy living room, and listening to Tina Arena’s Don’t Ask album on a seemingly endless loop. The track below, Sorrento Moon, was one of the tracks I heard countless times on that trip.

Seattle recently paid a return visit to the titular city of Sorrento and, as with all of her entries, uses her words and marvellous pictures to make it seem like the greatest place in the universe.

If there is a blogger out there who does a better job of capturing the beauty of a location, I’ve yet to find them. Seattle doesn’t disappoint as she does the cute beach-side city justice in this post.

A Few Days Away: Ford Focus Roadtrip to Tea Gardens by The Mellyboo Project

A few weeks ago now; Mel, Annie, a few of my friends, and I headed up to beautiful Tea Gardens on the NSW coast with the help of the people over at Ford. Driving the new Ford Focus, we had a blast uncovering a real hidden gem of the Australian coast. You can read all about my reflections on the weekend in my post, and now Mel has shared her thoughts and photos from the weekend as well.

Sydney and Craft Beer; They Do Co-Exist by The Wayward Traveler

Annie broke my heart a little bit when she told me excitedly about Sydney Craft Beer Week. I’d somehow managed to plan my recent Queensland trip at the same time as a festival of food and beer! How had I managed such a thing!?

Thankfully, Annie has done a more than sufficient job of covering the event and providing plenty of tummy rumble inducing photos to give me an idea of what her week in heaven must have been like. Foodies and beer enthusiasts will enjoy this one.

The Thought Provoking Reads

Living Better with Less by 1 Day, 1 Kid, 1 Crazy Adventure

Talon and Tigger’s adventures throughout Central America have been a source of a lot of joy to me. Seeing a father giving his child such a fantastic introduction to life and the world has been heart-warming, and it’s been made doubly so by Tigger’s seemingly boundless enthusiasm for new experiences.

What I might have seen had my parents been travelers!

This week’s entry sees Talon comparing the luxuries of the first world with the simple pleasures he’s discovered in the third world. It’s a great piece that’s sure to make you re-examine a few of your priorities when traveling, or in life in general.

Six Month’s Abstinence from Alcohol in South East Asia by Man vs Clock

I tried quitting drinking once. It was a rough two weeks…

In all seriousness, Anthony’s recent decision to quit drinking for six months came with a lot of reasons. His post discussing the seemingly mad decision to quit drinking while in Asia’s party region should provide some real food for thought.

We Are Engaged – Or How Travel Can Find and Build Love by Around the World L

Romance and relationships on the road are a real pet topic of mine, so it always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I read about somebody finding the man or woman of their dreams while on the road.

I won’t spoil the narrative, but there’s some Hollywood level romance in this one, followed by some discussion on her experiences both with travel and with a blossoming romance on the road.

It’s a post bound to put a smile on your face.

Travel – Running Away from Something? On Suicide, Death, and More by Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler

Alexandra’s posts are usually a good mix of travel tips and pictures of the gorgeous girl, but this week’s post is of a much more serious matter. As somebody who has battled depression for the past ten years of my life, I definitely felt drawn to this very heartfelt post.

Alexandra discusses her experiences with depression and the tragic suicide of her brother as well as how these experiences have shaped her as a traveler and a person. Really moving stuff.

Travel Bloggers Give Back by Green Global Travel

Heading into this festive season, Jim from Holes in my Soles has brought my attention to a fantastic initiative headed by Bret of Green Global Travels.

The idea is simple.

Many of us are blessed with good health and the financial stability to be out traveling. We are lucky enough to soak in the natural wonders that business and overpopulation may one day destroy completely.

This initiative aims to use our privileged position as bloggers with followings by spending some time promoting charities that are near and dear to us. By raising awareness, we’ll hopefully contribute to raising money for the charities that are near and dear to us.

I’m already in the process of trying to arrange something with the wonderful Inspired Adventures crew.

It’s a great cause, so go ahead and get involved!

The Revolution Continues, Cairo November 20, 2011 by The Runaway Guide

Leif finds himself in the thick of the recent unrest in Cairo and if this piece doesn’t get your heart racing a little, you’re not human. I won’t spoil it – just go read about Leif’s brush with the civil unrest that has gripped Egypt and marvel at the fact the man lives to tell the tale.

The Helpful Reads

Open Letter to Hostel Owners by The Art of Backpacking

Recently Mel and Annie, two of my Aussie based travel blogging buddies, have talked with me at length about the prospect of starting up our own hostel someday. While we spit-ball ideas and talk about must haves and can’t stands, the folks over at Art of Backpacking have come up with a few bits of food for thought on the subject.

What you must have and can’t stand in a hostel is an ongoing debate amongst anybody who’s ever been on the road for long, and there are a few salient points here that are sure to have you nodding along in agreement.

Five Steps to Rockin’ a Camp Worthy Portfolio by Bitten by the Travel Bug

My good friend Nicole is pretty much my go to girl on the topic of working at an US summer camp, and lately she’s been putting out some really helpful tools on how to make your dream of being a camp counsellor a reality.

This week she’s put together five great tips on how to ensure your portfolio/resume is as appealing as possible when you turn it in. Well worth a look if summer camp work is in your future.

The 8 Pillars of Building a Location Independent Lifestyle by My Spanish Adventure

Will from My Spanish Adventure is the diabolical mind behind yesterday’s very popular ‘How Travel Bloggers Talk About Sex’ post and he puts out quality content at a rate of knots over at his own personal blog as well.

I stumbled across part two of this post and thought I’d direct you to where it all started – the first four tips from Will on how to achieve location independence and make money without being tied to an office. The man is living the dream!

In Case You Missed It

It’s been a prolific two weeks on my part. When I haven’t been taking inspiration from the incomparable Torre DeRoche and churning out pages on my new novel, I’ve been tapping away in spare moments at work to put together more posts for your (I hope) reading pleasure.

In case you missed any of them, you’ll find them below: