Santa Fe is one of those places that changes lives. I should know. On a whim, two decades ago, my husband Hank and I were married there during a 3-month road trip. We’d been happily living together in Pennsylvania, committed to the relationship but feeling no need to seal the deal with a marriage certificate. Then suddenly, there we were, saying our I-do’s before a justice of the peace in the Santa Fe City Hall. Two years later, we moved 2,000-miles across the country to begin a new life in New Mexico, where we’ve lived, off-and-on, ever since.
Earlier this year Nancy King, a New Mexico author, released her newest book Changing Spaces, a novel set in Santa Fe and built around the story of a woman who attends a conference in Albuquerque, discovers she cannot force herself to return home to her husband of 40-years who has recently asked for a divorce and makes the spontaneous decision to build a new life in Santa Fe.
Intrigued? Learn more about the story behind the story in this author Q&A.
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".
I’m excited to partner with family ecotourism experts Greenloons on a fun new Facebook campaign beginning today, March 4, 2014.
Each month, for the next six months, the Greenloons Facebook page will offer one of my photographs as a free, downloadable screensaver. Additionally, you’ll discover the story behind each photograph and learn more about the part of the world where it was taken.
I invite you to join the fun. It’s free and easy. Click here to get started today
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".
What do you do if you possess an unquenchable curiosity? What if your deepest desire was to discover a story no one wanted told? If you’re Judith Fein, you become a journalist, you ask a lot of questions and you never, ever, stop searching for answers.
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".
My niece, Madeleine, has worn a lot of labels in her twenty-one years. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Student. Hockey player. But for the last five weeks she’s been known as the red-headed foreign girl who’s creating computer code for an electronic braille tool at the Mathru School for the Blind in Bangalore, India.
Technology development is ostensibly the reason why Madeleine, a cognative and computer science major, is spending ten weeks this summer in India. It turns out however, that as one of eight Carnegie Mellon University innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) interns, she’s learning much more than how to write code.
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".
We’re celebrating traveling alone over at our sister site, YourLifeIsAtrip.com, with a new collection of very very short stories. Packing a pithy punch, this unique short-form collection of solo travel tales, told with humor, passion and 25 words or less, will leave you laughing, crying, wishing you were there, or glad that you weren’t.
Travel along with YourLifeIsATrip.com writers on their solo explorations in this brief collection of very very short stories. Sometimes it’s crazy, funny, scary, surprising, meaningful, or disastrous, but never more than 25 words.
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".
I’m busy scheming and dreaming again and I hope you can help point me in the right direction.
OK, here’s my vision: A residential writers’ community where my husband, Hank, and I can hunker down for a few months to finish our books while embedded in an affordable, supportive, interactive environment of like-minded creatives.
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".
Sunshine in Mexico. Freezing cold in Alaska. Rain in England. Weather stereotypes don’t always hold true. Sometimes Mother Nature has her own ideas.
If you like your vacations to behave as expected, or want to know exactly what you’re getting into when you sign up for a holiday, check out my recent blog article Stepping Out in South West England - and learn what happens when Mother Nature decided to surprise me on an English walking holiday.
It might surprise you, too.
Click here to read the article
About Ellen Barone: Consumer travel journalist Ellen Barone is the founder and publisher ofTravelUpdatesbyEllenBarone.com and YourLifeIsATrip.com. She’s currently at work on her first book - I COULD LIVE HERE.
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".
Travelers Unite with Water.org to Help Build Clean Wells in Haiti.
In a world overwelmed by need, it’s exciting to see travelers come together with the concentrated purpose to help fill a global void and be the change they wish to see in the world. Better still, it’s working.
In 2011, Passports with Purpose (PwP), an annual philanthropic project where travel bloggers and travel enthusiasts come together to make a difference, joined with Room to Read to raise $90,000 for libraries in Zambia. The year before that, in partnership with LAFTI (Land for Tillers’ Freedom), PwP built an entire village in India’s Tamil Nadu region.
For 2012 they’ve set out to raise $100,000 for Water.org and build five clean water wells in Haiti and you can be a part of it.
Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, is a nonprofit organization that has focused on hundreds of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Central America by providing access to safe water and sanitation.
Originally known as WaterPartners International in 1990, WaterPartners merged with H2O Africa in 2009, resulting in the launch of Water.org. Water.org also has a microfinance-based venture called The WaterCredit Initiative.
For each $10 donation, you get to bid on a prize of your choice, ranging from hotel stays, travel packages and gear to tours, gift certificates and electronics. Your donation will help fund the wells that will bring clean water and so much opportunity to Haiti. Learn how you can help.
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".
I’m in Switzerland this week as part of the 2012 Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS), an annual meet up of 650 like-minded adventure travel professionals (a.k.a. the tribe) from around the globe who gather to reconnect, forge new partnerships and share strategies for success.
The official summit agenda begins tomorrow, but conference organizers and Switzerland Tourism have put together a sampling of pre-summit adventures custom designed to get us out exploring and discovering together with our fellow delegates.
For the past week I’ve been busy soaking up Swiss sunshine, hospitality, food and drink while exploring the traditional villages and history of the stunning Valais region, starting in the most famous Swiss mountain resort, Zermatt, at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn.
Here are a few special places and memorable experiences in case you’re itching to launch your own Swiss adventure.
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".
Wildlife, whales and wonder make Mexico’s Sea of Cortés an ideal location for a photography expedition.
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".
A visit to the enigmatic ruins at Machu Picchu had been top of the Wanderlist for years now; as has traveling with luxury outfitter, Butterfield & Robinson. So when a last-minute opportunity to join B&R’s Peru walking tour coincided with our arrival in Cusco, my husband and I jumped at the chance.
The 6-day trip - which included a two-night stay at the exclusive Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge Hotel, the only lodging located at the ancient Inca citadel - was all that I’d dreamed of, and more.
To learn more about the adventure, read Walking Peru with Butterfield & Robinson, now online at LuxuryLatinAmerica.com.
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".
WE WIN, YOU WIN!
EllenBarone.com Readers Eligible to Win a Trip for TWO on the Austin-Lehman Adventure of Your Choice.
Award-winning tour operator Austin-Lehman Adventures, the active travel company setting adventure tours standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and beyond, recently named EllenBarone.com one of its Top 10 Travel Blogs. Winners were selected based on blog readability, unique content, honesty, integrity, accompanying content such as video and photos, useful links and posting frequency.
As recognition for excellence, EllenBarone.com readers have the opportunity to win a trip for two on any Austin-Lehman Adventure of their choice*! Options include cycling tours, hiking trips, multi-sport adventures, family adventures and rafting trips (82 different itineraries spanning 28 countries worldwide). *Terms and conditions apply.
The promotion will run through 11:59PM, May 19, 2011, with winners announced the next day (May 20, 2011) on Austin-Lehman Adventures‚ blog.
Enter to Win at: http://www.austinlehman.com/blog-giveaway-pages-508.php.
“These bloggers are truly the best in the blogosphere, providing beautifully written travel posts that highlight their expert knowledge, undeniable passion, cultural insight and unique, personal experiences,” said Dan Austin, founder and owner. “Each blog provides the most fascinating, up-to-date content on travel tips, destinations, active travel, family adventures and the everyday life of a traveler. These blogs are imaginative, fun, original and poignant; reaching to the heart of what traveling is all about: discovery, adventure and finding yourself.
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 eight days, from June 5 - 12, 2011, join me and The Wayfarers for a photo-themed walking vacation across the dramatic open spaces of Dartmoor and Exmoor in the South West of England. Together we’ll walk meadow-paths and narrow lanes, crossing rivers and passing through thatched hamlets, stopping for hearty pub lunches and a traditional Devon Cream Tea, meeting the locals and enjoying first-class accommodations.
I’ll be on the trail to answer your questions and offer practical advice on how to return home with memorable vacation photographs that will have your friends and family feeling like they went along for the fun!
For walk highlights, pricing and other trip details, visit www.TheWayfarers.com.
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".
Does the pace of technology feel overwhelming? Don’t know beans about Facebook, Twitter, or Linked-in? Discover how to market yourself, your products and services by making the most of easy, low-cost Internet tools. Learn how to leave a trail of digital bread crumbs and build your brand online in an easy-to-understand format.
If you’re ready to dip a toe into New Media, join me from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday February 26, 2011, and learn how to build your online brand.
I’m thrilled to be bringing what I’ve discovered (and enjoy!) about social media and online marketing to the new Sanctuary on the River: Inspired Living Center in Ruidoso, New Mexico.
In this fun and interactive one-day seminar, I’ll be sharing how to:
FIND the online resources to build a platform for your business.
FREE up time by synchronizing your communication streams.
UNSTICK your fear of technology.
ENERGIZE yourself to do the platform building, marketing, and sales parts of getting your message out.
DRIVE traffic to your Web site.
SELL your products and services.
This workshop is intended for small business owners, writers, photographers, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone curious about web sites, Internet marketing and other online promotional tools. Do you know someone who would enjoy this class? TELL A FRIEND!
Saturday February 26, 2011. 10 AM to 4 PM. $105.00 per person. Optional gourmet box lunch; $7. Sanctuary on the River, 207 Eagle Drive, Ruidoso, New Mexico. For information and registration call 575-630-1111 or visit www.SanctuaryOnTheRiver.com.
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".
Wildlife, whales and wonder make Mexico’s Sea of Cortés an ideal location for a photography expedition.
Safari Quest, Sea of Cortez, ©Ellen Barone.Join me and my husband, Hank, aboard American Safari Cruises’ 22-passenger Safari Quest, March 19 - 26, 2011, for a photography-themed cruise and learn tips and techniques as you capture images of cactus, whales and dolphins, sea birds and the remarkable scenery of the islands.
Trip Highlights:
- By luxury yacht, kayak, motorized inflatable boat and on foot, encounter flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the world.
- In this World Heritage biosphere reserve, experience pods of dolphins numbering in the thousands and view many whale species including the largest living being on earth — the blue whale.
- Enjoy exclusive cultural experiences including a visit to tiny Isla Coyote where fishermen and their families live in the only permanent settlement in the islands.
- Along the way enjoy snorkeling with juvenile sea lions and myriad forms of sea life, a burro ride into the arroyos, and plenty of time for kayaking, sailing, water skiing and beachcombing.
FYI: There is a $500 per person value added savings in place that applied to bookings under deposit before January 14, 2011. TELL A FRIEND!
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".
Introducing the Newest Member of the EllenBarone.com travel family: ‘SkyMama’ Stacey Marcus.
ELLENBARONE.COM INTRODUCES NEW SKYMAMA TRAVEL BLOG:
SkyMama, Stacey MarcusWith humor and insight on how to go global with (and without) teenage daughters, a golf-addicted husband and her beloved bichon, travel and lifestyle writer, Stacey Marcus, brings her travel tips on a galaxy of places to enjoy, with or without your family, to EllenBarone.com.
THE BACKSTORY:
Once upon a time Stacey blew on a dandelion and wished she would meet the man of her dreams, get married and raise a family. Lucky for her the magic worked and she was blessed with all the above. She adores her family but like most candid women, sometimes she wishes she could just fly away and relish in the wonder of her own identity perfumed with the scent of her own ideas and interests.
Thus was the genesis of SkyMama, a magic carpet to travel out of the everyday world into new places where the sky truly is the limit.
I first met Stacey a few years ago during a visit to Los Cabos. I loved her humor, graciousness and intelligence immediately and couldn’t be more thrilled to host her tips, insights and travels at EllenBarone.com.
Check back often and watch SkyMama grow!
Bon voyage,
Ellen
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".
With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to share the release of my husband’s newest novel, VANISHED, now available at HankBarone.com.
The story of fifteen-year-old Jake Brandon, alone, desperate and on the run from kidnappers in the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico, is filled with pulse-pounding action, right down to its final, treacherous twist.
Although the book is categorized as ‘young adult fiction’, I think you’ll find it to be an action/adventure tale that both teens, and adults, will enjoy. To read the first chapter, click here. I hope you’ll be hooked!
For the past few years Hank has turned his passion and pen to writing fiction, with three adventure novels completed, two published and another in the works.
If you’d like to support his efforts, here are a few simple ways you can help.
Buy, or download, VANISHED right now at HankBarone.com
Share this with anyone you think would be interested and ask them to forward it on, as well.
Contact your local bookseller and public or school library and request that they order a copy.
If you read it, I encourage you to return and tell Hank what you think. You can post your comments at HankBarone.com or send him your thoughts directly.
Let’s help make VANISHED a new best seller! TELL A FRIEND!
With gratitude and enthusiasm,
Ellen
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".
I first learned the Spanish word ‘tocaya’, the feminine form for two people having the same name, more than a decade ago while living in Mexico. I thought it was lovely that they had a unique word to honor the special bond of a shared name. So when I was introduced to Canadian Mountain Holiday’s heli-hiking host, Ellen Slaughter, in the Bugaboos this past summer on a Bodacious Girlfriend Getaway, I knew that I had met an extraordinary tocaya.
Ellen is the inspiration behind CMH’s women-only travel programs. And as the entrepreneurial mother of three, a wife of 32-years, and the super fit, über high energy CMH marketing maven, she is, in my book, the ultimate Bodacious Babe. When she’s not leaping mountains in a single bound, Ellen can be found at home in Calgary, Alberta.
In a recent interview, I had the chance to chat with the travel-addicted Bodacious host, mom, wife and lover of life, sharing stories, advice and insights into the appeal of girlfriend getaways.
Learn about how Ellen stays busy taking women for a walk on the wild side in the full interview now online at Canadian Mountain Holiday’s ADVENTURE BLOG
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".
I’m thrilled to be joining The Wayfarers for a photo-themed walking vacation through the Cotswolds, one of England’s prettiest regions. For six days, from May 22- 28, 2011, we’ll walk along historic footpaths, Roman roads and winding lanes through picture-perfect villages, meeting locals and enjoying first-class accommodations and gourmet meals.
I’ll be on the trail to answer your questions and offer practical advice on how to return home with memorable vacation photographs that will have your friends and family feeling like they went along for the fun!
To learn more, click to play my YouTube video invitation below.
For walk highlights and other trip details, visit www.TheWayfarers.com.
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".
A WIN-WIN SITUATION:
Everyone loves to WIN, and YourLifeIsATrip.com wants to bring the WINNER’S smile to your face. From November 11-21, 2010, EllenBarone.com sister site YourLifeIsATrip.com will be GIVING AWAY one of our author’s books each day.
From the jungle tribes of Papua New Guinea and buying art in a Mexican prison to internal voyages of self-discovery and the digital world of storytelling, the featured books have subjects as diverse as the authors themselves.
All you have to do to win is sign up to receive the FREE YourLifeisATrip.com newsletter, ‘like’ us on facebook, or become a new twitter follower, and you’re automatically in the random drawing.
Daily winners will be announced on YourLifeIsATrip.com, on our facebook and twitter accounts, and at the close of the contest.
If you enjoy YourLifeisaTrip.com, we encourage you to use the links below to share the contest on your facebook page, give us a shout out on twitter, link, blink and a free book can be yours. Good luck!!
YOURLIFEISATRIP.COM BOOK GIVEAWAY SCHEDULE:
November 11, 2010: Morning Light by Nancy King
November 12, 2010: Life Is A Trip: The transformative magic of travel by Judith Fein.
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".