Here’s a secret: Pay attention to your conversations after you return home from traveling. Listen for the insights and observations you exhale as naturally as your breath—the stories that are so much a part of you that you barely notice. This is where you will find the lessons of your trip.
Do you complain incessantly about the lack of WiFi at the remote Patagonian lodge where you stayed?
Perhaps you tell everyone how much you enjoyed the experience of eating in Italy—the outdoor cafes, the leisurely pace of meals, shopping for fresh produce in the markets?
Are you unable to stop talking about the 10-day silent retreat you’re just back from?
Hidden in each story is a nugget of self-awareness.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
For me, the ideal adventure not only introduces me to places of wild beauty - its landscapes, wildlife, cultures and history- but also plays a role in protecting and sustaining it for future generations.
So I was thrilled when Maureen Gordon, co-owner of Maple Leaf Adventures, told me that they had added a second sailing vessel to accommodate interest in an upcoming collaborative conservation expedition with Canadian Geographic into British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, a vast protected area currently under the environmental threat of a controversial pipeline proposal.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Tell people you’re headed to Namibia and they’ll likely have little idea where that is. As one of Africa’s youngest countries boasting the oldest desert in the world, this vast and wild republic on the south-west coast of Africa isn’t on most tourist maps—yet.
But with wildlife galore, adventure sports, ancient culture, stunning landscapes, very few people and environmental protection built into its constitution, Namibia is one of those places that intrepid travelers fall in love with and often never leave. I visited Namibia in 2013 and definitely found myself thinking, “I Could Live Here”.
Ready to go? From self-drive and family safaris to active adventure, photographic tours and bespoke luxury, here are 5 Unforgettable Namibia Adventures to help you GO NOW.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Do you wish you could bring your yoga instructor on vacation? Have you vowed to continue your practice when you travel only to find that you don’t? Then check out this new Kenya Yoga Safari with my friend Whitney Bushnell, a private yoga instructor and travel professional.
This spring (May 16 - 24, 2014) Africa safari specialists Extraordinary Journeys and Whitney have teamed up in Kenya to offer a unique safari experience featuring exciting wildlife, bespoke luxury, breathtaking landscapes, authentic cultural engagement and exclusive yoga instruction.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Winter is here and Yellowstone National Park has some exciting new adventures designed to introduce you to its snowy magic.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
This Just In:
My favorite small ship cruise line (formerly operating as American Safari Cruises) sets sail in 2013 under a new name, Un-Cruise Adventures, with new ships, new departures in Alaska, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés and the Hawaiian Islands, and an exciting new Pacific Northwest itinerary.
What hasn’t changed is their signature blend of spontaneous flexibility, access to hidden ports, active adventure, and private-yacht feel —a.k.a the Un-Cruise experience.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".