Four of the Meet, Plan, Go! panelists: Lillie Marshall, David Kramer, Bob Riel and Amanda Pressner.

I recently had the pleasure of attending two noteworthy conferences. The first was the Meet, Plan, Go! forum that took place two weeks ago in 13 cities in an effort to promote career breaks and extended travel. I was honored to be a speaker at the Boston event. The second was the Wrangling with Writing conference that just took place in Tucson, Arizona, at which I was an interested attendee.

Two very different meetings, and yet there were striking similarities in what I took away from the two events. So here are five lessons learned about travel and writing from two September conferences.

1. Sometimes a break from work is needed before you can take things to the next level. – First of all, who knew so many people were interested in taking a career break to travel? The Boston Meet, Plan, Go! event drew well over 100 people on a weeknight, and when Amanda Pressner (of Lost Girls fame) asked how many of them were actually thinking about taking time off from their jobs in order to travel, about 70 percent of the audience shot their hands in the air.

Now, not every one of these individuals will follow through. But one of the points I made during my own talk was this: Each of us is growing and evolving. Five or 10 years from now, we’re going to be a different person than we are today, and that person is going to be partly the product of experiences that we’re having now. In which case, it certainly makes sense to choose interesting experiences for ourselves today! One of the ways to do that is to take a career break to focus on something you’re enthusiastic about, particularly if you feel passion for your work waning.

But what does any of this have to do with writing? Well, interestingly enough, more than one speaker at the writer’s conference mentioned the benefit of taking time away from a manuscript. Allan Hamilton (author, neurosurgeon and Grey’s Anatomy consultant) went so far as to say “the desk drawer is the ICU for manuscripts”- a place for them to rest and revive while the author’s inner voice becomes clearer over time. And travel writer Stephanie Elizondo Griest said her first book benefited from being rejected by 18 publishers and then being put away for a year. She eventually gained a new perspective on it, then rewrote the book and got it published.

2. Fear is one of the biggest obstacles we have to overcome. – So what is stopping all those Meet, Plan, Go! attendees from quitting their jobs and buying a backpack? Finances and relationships no doubt play a decisive role for some people, but for others it’s simply a matter of overcoming fear. Fear of changing jobs, fear of upsetting the status quo, fear of reaction from friends and family.

And for writers? Author Bob Mayer suggested that fear is actually what holds back many writers. Fear of failure, fear of success, even fear of being truly honest on the page. “The thing most people fear writing about is what they should be writing about,” he said. “That’s where their best writing will come from.” He quoted the writer Anais Nin, who said: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

3. If there is no action or meaning, it’s difficult for there to be emotional involvement. – Is your life about taking action and living your dreams or about getting through the day? If it’s the latter, then maybe – like countless other career breakers and travelers before you – it’s time to mix things up, cut out the boring stuff, and inject some different or more meaningful activities into your life. Lillie Marshall (teacher, blogger, and the enthusiastic organizer of Boston’s Meet, Plan, Go!) has noted that she was “falling into a rut at home” prior to her own career break and that she returned home after nine months on the road “energized, full of perspective, and brimming with new skills.”

And yes, writers, this goes for words on a page, too. Chuck Sambuchino (editor, author and blogger) gave a conference talk entitled “Chapter One Do’s and Don’ts.” His advice: Cut out the boring stuff and get some action, tension or interactions going on page one. “If you get a reader emotionally invested in the main character in the first pages, then you have them.”

Hmmm, get a reader interested in a character, get yourself more interested in your own life. How? Oh right, cut out the boring stuff and throw in some action and meaning. Travel, life, writing – the same lessons apply.

Stephanie Elizondo Griest

4. Persistence, persistence, persistence.  – Travelers and career breakers: Persistence is Jessica McHugh and Tim McGregor putting themselves on an ultra-frugal budget and saving money for two years so they’d have the opportunity to travel. Which they then did for 18 months!

Writers: Persistence is Stephanie Elizondo Griest quitting her job so she could write her first book, overcoming countless agent rejections, rewriting the book, finding an agent, enduring 18 publisher rejections, putting the manuscript in a drawer, getting a new job, revisiting and rewriting the book a year later, and then finally getting it published. Her advice to writers? “Apply, apply, apply, till you get it or you die.”

5. Social media, social media, social media.  – It was interesting how much social media was discussed during the writer’s conference. Not only were there workshops on the topic, but agents, editors and publishers all brought up the role of social media in building a platform for your writing.

In fact, if you want to see an agent’s eyes glaze over, look at them as I mention my 12 years of experience in journalism, corporate communications and cross-cultural consulting. But if you want to see them perk up, watch as I mention my blog and my presence on Twitter and Facebook. “Well, it’s nothing to sneeze at. It’s something we can work with.” Ah, so sad to see 12 years of on-the-job writing experience count for almost nothing. But, hey, at least I’ve figured it out and am on the right track.

As far as the Meet, Plan, Go! event? The role of social media in travel planning has already been well documented, but what was interesting about this forum was the way in which online connections suddenly became personal. “Around the World Lillie, I’ve been following your blog, so great to meet you.” “Oh, you’re Nomadic Matt!” “Hey, it’s Lost Girl Amanda!” “Jessica and Tim, so this is what hedgehogs look like in person!” Yes, we all develop online personas and identities, and we get to know each other via online communities of travelers and writers, but it’s always nice to know in the end that there are real (and really interesting) people behind the Twitter names and the blog entries.

So there you have it: lessons on travel, writing and life from two September conferences. Here’s wishing you interesting travels if you’re a traveler, courage if you’re a potential career breaker, and many hours of inspired writing if you’re a writer.

Photo credits: Meet, Plan, Go! photo by Caitlin King; Stephanie Elizondo Griest photo by Mike Rom.

Big Sur, California

It’s true that Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco get much of the attention, but don’t dismiss California’s Central Coast as a travel destination. The region has an abundance of natural wonders and you can piece together quite an enjoyable road trip there. It’s not an exaggeration to say the 280-mile journey from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz is one of the most beautiful drives in the country. What’s more, the attractions are numerous enough so that you can turn this trek into either an adult-friendly or a kid-friendly adventure.

I recently published an article on Examiner.com that outlines such a road trip. Here is an excerpt that covers the early portion of the journey, from Santa Barbara to San Simeon.

Santa Barbara, which lies between the Santa Ynez mountains and the sea, is often referred to as the American Riviera for its Mediterranean climate and appearance. You’ll delight in the beaches, of course, with at least 10 to choose from, including popular East, Goleta and Leadbetter beaches. But you’ll also appreciate the restaurants and shopping in Santa Barbara.

 

If you like history, then be sure to check out Old Mission Santa Barbara, one of the most beautiful sites on the California Missions Trail. Or, if you have children with you, consider a visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo, where kids will love the zoo train, carousel and giraffe feeding, not to mention the views over the Pacific Ocean.

 

When you’re finally able to tear yourself away from Santa Barbara, just point your car north. If you’re interested in some unique non-coastal attractions, then in less than an hour you’ll stumble across the Danish replica village of Solvang, as well as the distinctive park known as OstrichLand, where you can see and feed a collection of ostriches and emus.

 

Eventually, though, you’ll make your way to the lovely town of San Luis Obispo, where you can kick back in an eclectic and appealing college town. While you could spend more hours at a nearby beach, you might enjoy even more the chance to sip wine at a vineyard, check out an olive oil tasting at an olive farm, enjoy some of the region’s miles of hiking and biking trails, or make time for more history at Mission San Luis Obispo.

 

Just north of here is San Simeon. There, you’ll find the remarkable Hearst Castle, an opulent 90,000-square-foot mansion that belonged to William Randolph Hearst. Of course, you may be just as amazed by the thousands of elephant seals that converge on nearby Piedras Blancas beach.

View Central Coast of California in a larger map

Mount Hood reflected in Trillium Lake, Oregon.

The recent eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland certainly captured the world’s attention, as have volcanoes throughout history. Tourists have long had an enduring fascination with volcanoes, as visitors flock to sites as diverse as Italy’s Pompeii, which was buried by the 1^st century eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, and Washington state’s Mt. St. Helens, which famously and violently erupted in 1980.

In North America, the Pacific Northwest has been significantly shaped by its volcanic history. In fact, there are stunning calderas, lava tube caves and bubbling hot springs throughout the region - all connected to the area’s volcanic activity. And the Cascade Range is home to a 700-mile string of active volcanoes, from Mount Rainier to Mount Hood to Mount Shasta. As a result, it’s possible to put together a road trip that takes in some of the continent’s most spectacular volcanic scenery. I did just that in a recent article for Examiner.com, with a journey that stretches from Washington to northern California.

Here is an excerpt that covers the latter part of the road trip, from southern Oregon down through northern California:

From Crater Lake, your tour continues south into California along the two-state Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. You’ll pass through Klamath Falls, Oregon, and then cross into California. If you like lava tube caves, then you’ll love your next stop at Lava Beds National Monument. The park contains hundreds of caves and more than 30 different lava flows, some from two million years ago. About two dozen caves have marked entrances and trails. The monument also includes a large selection of American Indian rock art.

 

Soon after departing Lava Beds, you’ll find your gaze fixed upon 14,179-foot Mount Shasta, which last erupted in 1786 and is the second highest peak in the Cascades. For centuries this mountain has attracted spiritual seekers, from American Indians to modern day mystics. One of the best ways to enjoy the view is from 15-mile Everitt Memorial Highway, which begins in the charming town of Mt. Shasta and climbs to about 7,800 feet.

 

You won’t lack for natural beauty as you continue your drive, particularly at the McCloud River Waterfalls in McArthur-Burney Falls State Park, which President Theodore Roosevelt once called “the eighth wonder of the world.” But our tour concludes at Lassen Volcanic National Park. The 10,457-foot Lassen Peak is the southernmost of the Cascade volcanoes and it erupted powerfully as recently as 1915.

 

Lassen Park Road is a scenic 30-mile drive through the landscape. There are also more than 150 miles of hiking trails. A popular one is the 3-mile roundtrip to Bumpass Hell, where you’ll see the park’s largest concentration of hydrothermal features, including steaming pools and boiling mudpots. This display of bubbling passions just beneath the surface of the earth is a fitting end to our captivating volcanic tour of the Pacific Northwest.

You can read the full story here, and use this Google map to follow the journey.

View Volcano Trail of the Pacific Northwest in a larger map
Photo credit: Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons.

The most obvious difference, of course, is in the site design. The entire look and structure has been revamped so it now has elements of a magazine-style site as well as a traditional blog. It’s not only a cleaner and (hopefully) more eye-catching look, but it enables me to more easily highlight particular features.

If you’re a regular reader, you will also notice a significant difference in content during the coming weeks. Much of the past focus of the blog can now be found at the In the News category. Here, I will continue to highlight interesting news articles that focus on both travel and cross-cultural topics. But going forward there will be a greater emphasis on original content. You can see some of this now in the Travel categories, with original Riel World photos, road trip itineraries and a new feature called Seven Spectacular Places. But there is much, much more on the drawing board for the future, so I hope you’ll keep coming back to see how the site grows.

As always, Travels in the Riel World will remain the blog for people with a global curiosity: for anyone with a yearning to know about and experience this diverse and incredible planet that we inhabit. Here is how I described the newly redesigned blog in my About page:

Let’s face it, travel is fun. But for those who live to travel, it’s not just about fun. It’s about experiencing life, meeting people, learning about cultures, and discovering ourselves. Once we’ve traveled, we’re never quite the same. If that describes you, then stick around. You’ll read about:

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS. With a twist. Since there is no shortage of websites providing info on travel destinations, I’ll focus on exploring places around the world with some Riel World-specific twists. Starting with themed road trip itineraries and lists of seven spectacular places - and with many more feature ideas on the drawing board for the future.

TRAVEL PERSPECTIVES. We’ll look at the ways in which people are changed by their travel experiences. We’ll check in with travel writers and others who have interesting perspectives about life on the road. And, since anyone who loves travel needs opportunities to travel, we’ll also delve into lifestyle ideas for living the dream.

CULTURES OF THE WORLD. The planet is filled with fascinating societies and traditions, so another goal is to see the world from a cross-cultural perspective and to gain insight into the world’s cultures.

The thread that ties this all together is the idea of “cultivating a global curiosity.” If you’re truly a passionate traveler then you have an unquenchable curiosity about the world, its cultures and its people. And you desire a lifestyle that accommodates these interests.

I hope to connect with many of you in the future, so I hope you’ll stick around and join the conversation. Please also consider subscribing to our feed or signing up for email updates.

Travels in the Riel World is undergoing some upgrades and renovations. There are bound to be a few snags along the way, so please be patient. Before you know it, Riel World will be back and better than ever.

 

In Birmingham, you can then begin your journey along the Alabama Civil Rights Trail. The main attraction here is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum that re-creates the world of racial segregation and the civil rights clashes. It is across the street from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where four young girls were killed during a 1963 bombing by the Ku Klux Klan.

Another two hours south is the town of Selma. There, you can stop at the Edmund Pettis Bridge, where 500 people were attacked by state police in 1965 while they participated in the Voting Rights March. From here, you can follow the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail, which commemorates that march.

It’s just over an hour to Montgomery, where Dr. King was a preacher and some of the most famous civil rights incidents took place. You can tour the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where King worked; the Dexter Parsonage Museum, the home where King and his family lived; the Rosa Parks Library and Museum, which pays tribute to the woman who sparked a year-long city bus boycott; and the Civil Rights Memorial, designed by the architect Maya Lin, that honors those who gave their life to the civil rights struggle.

Finally, less than an hour east of Montgomery is the Alabama town of Tuskegee, which is not connected to the civil rights movement but is renowned in African American history for other reasons.

First, you should visit the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. It’s the only historic site located on a functioning college campus. The school was founded in 1881 as a teacher’s college for African Americans and grew to prominence under the leadership of Booker T. Washington. One of the school’s most famous professors was George Washington Carver. Today, you’re able to visit some of the university’s earliest buildings, including The Oaks, which was Washington’s home. Another attraction is the George Washington Carver Museum, with exhibits on Carver’s life and scientific achievements. Additionally, the graves of Washington and Carver are in the Tuskegee University Campus Cemetery.

Also in town is the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. Exhibits at Moton Field tell the remarkable story of the thousands of African Americans who were trained here during World War II to fly and maintain combat planes. Since the military was still segregated at the time they had to be trained at a different facility from white pilots, but the Tuskegee Airmen became one of the military’s most respected group of fighters.

You can read my full story here, and you can follow the journey with this Google map:

View Black history road trip in a larger map

Photo credit: Gray wolf via Wikimedia Commons.

Technology as well as the ability to travel has helped many students and educators reach out to learn and to teach others how to institute a global learning environment. The following list of top fifty education blogs show the broad reach in this effort, with blogs listed in categories that range from studying abroad to e-learning technology and from international diplomacy to cultural resources.

Check out the full list for an idea of what other people who are interested in the world are writing about.

The Commonwealth of Virginia calls itself the “birthplace of Presidents” and, of the country’s 44 leaders, seven of them have firm roots in Virginia. This includes several of the nation’s Founding Fathers, men such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Virginia has more presidential landmarks and homes than any other state, so it’s possible to construct a nifty little road trip that will enable you to take in a treasure trove of American history.

You can see the full story here, and use this Google map to follow the journey.

View Presidential tour of Virginia in a larger map

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site – Atlanta, Georgia

There are multiple important sites located within walking distance of each other in the Sweet  Auburn district of Atlanta where King was born and raised. The King Center has an exhibition hall with mementos from Dr. King’s life, as well as videos of his speeches and sermons. It is next to the Freedom Plaza where King’s tomb is situated amidst a reflecting pool. Also within the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site are King’s birth home and the Ebeneezer Baptist Church, where King and his father were pastors.

 

Alabama Civil Rights Trail – Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, Alabama

Alabama was the epicenter of numerous civil rights battles of the 1950s and these historic events are memorialized in the state today. In Montgomery, you can tour the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where King was a preacher; the Dexter Parsonage Museum, where King and his family lived; the Rosa Parks Library and Museum, which pays tribute to the woman who sparked a year-long city bus boycott; and the Civil Rights Memorial, designed by the architect Maya Lin, that honors those who gave their life to the civil rights struggle.

 

Just west of Montgomery is Selma. Between the two cities, you can follow the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1965 Voting Rights March, and stop at the Edmund Pettis Bridge, where 500 marchers were attacked by state police.

 

Birmingham, meanwhile, is home to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum that re-creates the world of racial segregation and the civil rights clashes. It is across the street from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where four young girls were killed during a 1963 bombing by the Ku Klux Klan.

 

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center – Cincinnati, Ohio

The Underground Railroad was a 19^th century network of private homes and churches where fleeing slaves were hidden as they tried to make their way north to a free state. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center uses exhibits and interactive endeavors to detail the history of slavery and tell the story of the Underground Railroad and of the individuals who worked to overturn slave laws.

 

See the full story for four more sites, in Massachusetts, Tennessee, Kansas and Arkansas.

 

Literary New England and Literary California – If you enjoy a good book, you’ll love these dual road trips through the homes of some of America’s greatest writers. Just a few of the places you’ll explore are the transcendental roots of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in Concord, Massachusetts; the Hartford home of Mark Twain; the quintessential New England homestead of Robert Frost; the birthplace of John Steinbeck in Salinas, California, and the San Francisco literary hangouts of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and other members of the Beat Generation.

 

Journey into the roots of American music – A lot of remarkable music was born in the United States and this two-part road trip enables you to do a pretty thorough job of exploring the roots of jazz, blues, soul, bluegrass, country and rock and roll. Among other destinations, it will take you from the birthplace of jazz in New Orleans to the Mississippi home of the blues, and from the country music capital of Nashville to the Detroit source of the Motown sound.

 

Stargazing the Southwest – A dark sky filled with thousands of glittering stars is one of the most sublime sights in nature. The region from West Texas to Southern California boasts some of the best stargazing locations in the world, and Arizona has more observatories than any other state or country. You can spend your days seeing the sights of the Southwest and your nights enjoying the majesty of the universe.

 

You can read my full story for an overview of more of these journeys, or check out the entire series of road trip articles.