Saying yes to too much “cool” will bury you alive and render you a B-player, even if you have A-player skills. To develop your edge initially, you learn to set priorities; to maintain your edge, you need to defend against the priorities of others.
How to Become a Model Photographer in Brazil
Photo: Jeremiah Thompson Before hiring one of my assistants, Charlie, I asked him where he wanted to be in 6 and 12 months. I made him define what he wanted to have and what he wanted to do in both timeframes. At the top of the list was a mini-retirement to Thailand or South America. …
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5 Travel Lessons You Can Use at Home
Rolf Potts is one of my favorite writers, and his book Vagabonding was one of only four books I recommended as “fundamental” in The 4-Hour Workweek. It was also one of two books, the other being Walden; Or, Life in the Woods, that I took with me during my 15+-month mini-retirement that began in 2004. …
Random Episode 5: The Bloody, Filthy Travel Edition
This is a short Random episode — 10:30 — and easily the most disgusting to date. I also think it’s the funniest. Imagine Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations if he didn’t need to edit for cable. This episode has some educational bits, but it’s focus is on enjoying the not-always-so-smooth experience of travel. Not for the …
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How to Be Jason Bourne: Multiple Passports, Swiss Banking, and Crossing Borders
Is it possible to become invisible without breaking the law? (Photo: gravitywave) LOS ANGELES, MID-JUNE 2008 Sitting on a plush couch in the neon-infused nightclub, I asked again: “What’s it about?” Neil Strauss glanced around and looked nervous, which I found strange. After all, we’d known each other for close to two years now. In …
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How to Surf Life: Attorney Turned Surf Guru
(Photo: envisionpublicidad) Many a false step was made by standing still. -Fortune Cookie Named must your fear be before banish it you can. -Yoda, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL Twenty feet and closing. “Run! Ruuuuuuuuuun!” Hans didn’t speak Portuguese, but the meaning was clear enough—haul ass. His sneakers gripped firmly …
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Rolf Potts Q&A: The Art of Long-term World Travel… and Travel Writing
Rolf Potts is one of my favorite writers, and his book — Vagabonding — was one of only four books I recommended as “fundamental” in The 4-Hour Workweek. It was also one of two books, the other being Walden; Or, Life in the Woods, that I took with me during my 15+-month mini-retirement that began …
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12+ Gems of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Plus: 200 Tweets – My Thoughts on Practical Twitter Use)
The unbelievable Oregon coastline. (Photo: liquidskyarts) Six weeks ago I conducted my first social media travel experiment. I posed a simple question and let your responses to me on Twitter and this blog dictate exactly what I did on a 12-day roadtrip with my brother from San Francisco to Vancouver, Canada. No packing or planning …
How to Take a Mini-Retirement: Tips and Tricks
I was recently interviewed by J.D. Roth on planning and financing mini-retirements. Here is an excerpt: J.D. It occurs to me that one way to approach the mini-retirements, at least financially, is to save for them, just as I might save for a new car. It’s not necessarily money I’m pulling from retirement then. It’s …
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Low-Cost, High-Reward Mini-Retirements: Explore the World with International Volunteering
One great method for taking an expenses-paid “mini-retirement”–or adding more time to your travels without adding costs–is to work with an international volunteer organization. Some volunteer groups charge a participation fee, but there are some that will cover your food, housing–and provide you with good meaningful work–at no cost. I would like to share with …