I have always encouraged solo travel as a way to explore the world, but I also acknowledge that it has some negative aspects, especially if you do it for a long time. Traveling has been an amazing learning experience for me, as I have gained a lot of insight into different cultures and perspectives. But it has also affected me on a personal level. Here are 10 ways travel has shaped me, and how it usually impacts others who do the same: 1. It makes you more self-centered Solo travel gives you the freedom to make almost every choice based

Anyone who comes to Africa, regardless of color, country, or faith, feels an irresistible attraction. Because it is raw. Because Africa is calling her children home like a mother. She may be elderly, bewildered, and destitute, but the navel pull remains. I can’t help myself. -John Ryan, One Man’s Africa. Archbishop Desmond Tutu dubbed South Africa the Rainbow Nation during the first democratic elections following the end of apartheid in 1994. It’s a metaphor for the coming together of South Africa’s many nations – a country with 11 official languages. It’s an apt name, not just because of the diversity of

Singapore is one of those nations that, like an onion, is multi-layered and has so more to learn underneath the surface than it looks. I stayed here for 6 days on a stopover on the way to Los Angeles, thinking it would be too lengthy, only to find that I left wanting a lot more time. They warned me there wasn’t much to do in Singapore, there were just three days left and it was a hefty expense. In actuality, the food is endlessly intriguing and wonderful, with hotspots all around the city and its environs, the culture is equally

Berlin is the kid from high school art class who always wears black and manages to seem so casually cool, you question whether you can sit at the same table (but you can because you’re cool too, darn it). There are so many levels to this city and if you spend any time here, you’ll understand why it’s been drawing artists and creatives for decades. The city is all about the counterculture and the greatest part is that you don’t have to search far to discover it. When you’re here, conventional activities like the hop-on hop-off bus, a visit to

Locals in Sri Lanka are usually curious about what I believe. Uber drivers generally take me to and from the airport, which I’ve done a lot of this June between flying to the Maldives, coming back, travelling via Indonesia, and then returning. (As an aside, an Uber ride from downtown to the airport in Sri Lanka costs only $5. Win!) I’ve grown to like taxi discussions when traveling, so allow me to transport you to the east coast of Sri Lanka via my most recent cab confession: He asks whether I want to go to Sri Lanka. I tell him

The plane arrives in a location I’ve never been before. I exhale after holding my breath for a second, attempting to lower my pulse rate as I mentally prepare for what’s to come – something I’ve read about but can’t foresee. Fear is what runs through my mind. A little voice emerges and instructs me to put on my armor. I’ll walk there, head held high and back straight. I’m going to list everything I’ve read that has taught me how to avoid frauds. It’s time to put on my game face, even if I’m only a video game character

If hitchhiking has taught me anything, it’s that openly asking for aid from locals is one of the finest ways to get to know a region. You end up with so many touching anecdotes and insights into local culture that you would not have found otherwise. Individuals from many walks of life and from various perspectives provide rides to others. In a nice rental that took me, I’ve had commuters, families, locals, and even a retired English couple on vacation. Everyone was courteous, helpful, and polite. It was OK because hitchhiking is popular in Patagonia and most of South America.

“We leave our homes, step out our doors into the world, and travel our whole lives not because we want to collect exotic T-shirts, […] but because it has the power to renew us – not the guarantee, not the promise, just the possibility. Because there are places our imagination can never build for us, and there are people we will never meet but we could and we could. It reminds us that there is always a reason to start over.-Stephen Markley, Tales from Iceland” It’s a bit tough to put words on Iceland. Others call it the land of