Can you believe that we’re already almost halfway through the year? Time is flying – so much so that this month has been a blur of birthdays, our anniversary, and taxes (I HATE the IRS – I really, really do!). But despite the blur, I somehow managed to stay abreast of some great travel reads. Here are some updates, best reads, and pics from April…
Updates
This month I became a Google City Expert in my beloved Los Angeles – woot! What’s a City Expert? A City Expert is someone who’s in the know about the best their city has to offer whether it’s a new restaurant, a great boutique, or other interesting finds. To celebrate, Google invited us Angeleno experts to an exclusive carnival-themed party at a mid-city studio the other night. It was a festive event complete with taco and sausage stands, a bar, and carnival games, of course. They even had Skee Ball! Remember that game from Chuck E. Cheese’s as a kid?! It was a fun night, and I’m looking forward to more invites to events like this.
It’s been on my mind for awhile, but I’ve finally decided to start a monthly newsletter! Sometimes I want to share updates, tips, ideas, etc. that I don’t necessarily want to write about on the blog. So I figured that it would be great to communicate these things with you through a monthly newsletter. In my newsletter, you’ll get the inside scoop on tips related to voluntourism and travel planning, an early heads up about giveaways, and much more. It’s totally FREE, so please sign up by clicking here.
Best Reads
Nine travelers share their travel rituals in their European cities of choice. I can totally relate as I definitely have rituals when I travel to places I visit over and over again like Jamaica. As soon as we get to Negril, Jave knows that I have to get some curry chicken from Sweet Spice. It’s a must! Do you have travel rituals or fave spots that you habitually return to?
Anwar from Beyond My Front Door wrote the best blog post I’ve read this month about his pre-dawn visit to the Treasury in Petra. As I read it, I felt like I was right there in Petra with him chatting it up with locals while waiting for the sun to rise.
A Voluntourist after My Own Heart
I love hearing about other people who incorporate voluntourism into their travels. During an upcoming trip to Guam, voluntourist George Miller VI will be a volunteer photographer for a local nonprofit dedicated to creating an online resource about the country’s history, culture, and current issues. Isn’t that an awesome way to incorporate volunteering into traveling?!
Love This
Before traveling to a new country, I usually try to fill my playlist with music from that country. I also try to read a book by an author from the country I’m visiting or that’s set in the country I’m visiting. Here, you’ll find a list of books that are set in each state in the United States. Love it!
Best Photos
Mark Peterson of Flying Solo recently guest posted at GlobalGrasshopper where he highlighted gorgeous shots of New Zealand and Southeast Asia. I absolutely love his images of Milford Sound. Stunning!
Photography Tips
If you’re wondering how to improve your photography skills, check out Jessie on a Journey’s roundup of photography tips by some amazing travel photographers.
What I’m Reading
I’m only a little over a quarter of the way through it, but I’m reading and absolutely loving The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change by Adam Braun. The book follows Braun’s journey from a life-changing semester at sea to starting a nonprofit that’s allowed him to build more than 200 schools around the world. I love this book because it’s a call to action to follow your life’s purpose and go against the grain to bring about positive change in the world. I’m a total believer that we are all on this planet for a unique purpose, and this book is such a motivator to readers to find and pursue their purpose with everything they’ve got. Read it!
How was your April? Did you come across any great reads, pictures, or travel tips this month?
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