Again, visions of future travels cloud my thoughts. I`m gonna roll with it.

My top 5 Travel Books of All-Time:

1. The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

Most people point to reading Kerouac`s On the Road as the root of their wanderlust or obsession with freight trains and hitchhiking. For me, it was The Dharma Bums that turned me into a perpetual vagabond.

Amazon Description: The Dharma Bums was published one year after On the Road made Jack Kerouac a celebrity and a spokesperson for the Beat Generation. Sparked by his contagious zest for life, the novel relates the adventures of an ebullient group of Beatnik seekers in a freewheeling exploration of Buddhism and the search for Truth.

2. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

This is by far the most lucid, well-thought out book out there on extended travel. Covering both the how-to and philosophy of backpacking, it should be required reading for any traveler.

Review from Booklist:  Veteran vagabond Potts regales readers with his mantra: anyone with an adventurous spirit can achieve the feat of taking extended time off from work to experience the world. In 11 short chapters that follow the same structure, Potts tells how to negotiate time off from work, prepare for travel, and get the most out of your time on the road. Each chapter contains a profile of a famous proponent of vagabonding (e.g., Thoreau, Annie Dillard), quotes from everyday people with extensive travel experience, and a tip sheet of print and online sources for practical travel advice on topics such as airline tickets and accommodations as well as safety concerns. Alternately warning readers about using drugs in foreign countries and entertaining them with anecdotes from exotic ports of call, Potts gives a thorough recounting of his outlook on traveling. This book seems squarely aimed at twenty- and thirtysomethings; anyone with decidedly non-vagabond accoutrements (e.g., children or career ambition) might be more skeptical of Potts’ philosophy. For those with a bad case of wanderlust. Joanne Wilkinson

3. Jupiter`s Travels by Ted Simon

One guy, one motorbike, 45 countries. Awesome.

Amazon Description: Simon rode a motorcycle around the world in the seventies, when such a thing was unheard of. In four years he covered 78,000 miles through 45 countries, living with peasants and presidents, in prisons and palaces, through wars and revolutions. What distinguishes this book is that Simon was already an accomplished writer. In 25 years this book has changed many lives, and inspired many to travel, including Ewan McGregor.

4. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Guy escapes prison. Guy goes to India on fake passport and can`t leave. Epic adventure ensues.

From Publisher`s Weekly: At the start of this massive, thrillingly undomesticated potboiler, a young Australian man bearing a false New Zealand passport that gives his name as “Lindsay” flies to Bombay some time in the early ’80s. On his first day there, Lindsay meets the two people who will largely influence his fate in the city. One is a young tour guide, Prabaker, whose gifts include a large smile and an unstoppably joyful heart. Through Prabaker, Lindsay learns Marathi (a language not often spoken by gora, or foreigners), gets to know village India and settles, for a time, in a vast shantytown, operating an illicit free clinic. The second person he meets is Karla, a beautiful Swiss-American woman with sea-green eyes and a circle of expatriate friends. Lin’s love for Karla—and her mysterious inability to love in return—gives the book its central tension. “Linbaba’s” life in the slum abruptly ends when he is arrested without charge and thrown into the hell of Arthur Road Prison. Upon his release, he moves from the slum and begins laundering money and forging passports for one of the heads of the Bombay mafia, guru/sage Abdel Khader Khan. Eventually, he follows Khader as an improbable guerrilla in the war against the Russians in Afghanistan. There he learns about Karla’s connection to Khader and discovers who set him up for arrest. Roberts, who wrote the first drafts of the novel in prison, has poured everything he knows into this book and it shows. It has a heartfelt, cinemascope feel. If there are occasional passages that would make the very angels of purple prose weep, there are also images, plots, characters, philosophical dialogues and mysteries that more than compensate for the novel’s flaws. A sensational read, it might well reproduce its bestselling success in Australia here.

5. The Drifters by James Mitchner

I`m surprised this one doesn`t get more attention. Hedonistic backpacking in the 60s and 70s never had a better ambassador than Michener in this book.

Amazon Description:  In his triumphant best seller, James Michener unfolds a powerful and poignant drama of six young runaways adrift in a world they have created out of dreams, drugs, and dedication to pleasure. With the sure touch of a master, Michener pulls us into the dark center of their private world, whether it’s in Spain, Marrakech, or Mozambique, and exposes the naked nerve ends with shocking candor and infinite compassion.

Runners-up:

Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Less a travel book than a profound treatise on minimalism and living consciously.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. I`m not into drugs, but the sense of adventure conveyed in this book is wicked contagious.

And of course, The Beach, Into the Wild and Motorcycle Diaries (see my post on best travel movies)

And the Worst Travel Book Award? If you`ve read it, you know what I`m about to write:  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I want my 5 hours back (okay, so I skimmed most of it…).

Got one that`s not on my list? I`d love to hear it.

A wise man once said, If you have nothing good to say….  Post some pictures.

This weekend, I spent almost all my time at work and writing music, and I’m pretty tapped out. So here’s some pictures from Kachoen Bird Park in Kakegawa. I went there a few weekends ago with Kim and though I expected it would be interesting, I had a total blast.

We saw a lot of birds that start with ‘P’ —  penguins, parrots, parakeets, peacocks, pelicans…

As well as some other letters: ostriches, flamingos, and a large variety of angry looking owls (they are, after all, nocturnal).

The parakeets loved kim for some reason. At one point, there were 2 birds up her sleeve and another trying to unzip her jacket.

My favorite by far were the Toucans. At first they’re a little intimidating because they’re pretty big. But they’re really gentle and surprisingly light on your arm.

That’s it. Kakegawa Bird Park. Definitely going back, since I’m here for the next year.

1. A Map For Saturday. This is the film that inspired me to write this post. It`s a documentary that follows a successful twenty-something as he quits his job to backpack around the world for a year. Watching it, I felt it really captured everything about travel and backpacking that I love. Amazing film. This is required viewing for anyone thinking about taking time off for an extended trip.

2. One Week. Follow Joshua Jackson`s (remember Charlie from the Mighty Ducks?) character, Ben,on a motorcycle journey across Canada after being told he doesn`t have long to live. Awesome soundtrack, beautiful Canadian scenery, and great cameos by Gord Downie, Emme Gryner and Joel Plaskett.

3. Motorcycle Diaries. A future revolutionary and his friend ride motorcycles across South America. Need I say more? The book was good; the movie, better. Great soundtrack too.

Consolation Prizes:

1st Runner Up goes to Into the Wild. Would have got the award too, if the idealistic protagonist didn`t die at the end.

2nd Runner Up goes to The Beach. As a film, it`s not bad. As inspiration for an adventure or a visit to Thailand, amazing.

3rd Runner Up is Y Tu Mama Tambien, which would have taken the prize save for the final sex scene. Shudder. Bad shudder.

And the award for least inspiring travel movie goes to…  Brokedown Palace. Thailand rocks. Thai prison, not so much. Don`t do drugs, kids.

What movies make you crave travel? Opinions please :)

People I meet often ask me how I can afford to travel so much, so I thought I’d write out what I do. It isn’t easy to save like I do, but it does get me to my goal fast. Personally, I’d rather make some sacrifices for a year (no going out, etc) and then have a full block of uninterrupted time to travel.

How I Think About Money

If time is money, then the reverse is true: Money is time. I generally think this way, but I rarely see evidence of other people doing so. For me, if I save $10,000 to $15,000, I think of that money as a year’s worth of vacation. That means I don’t have to work for a year and get to travel and have incredible experiences. Really think about this – no work for a year. It’s pretty amazing once you experience it. Our work-centric culture would have us believe that this is somehow wrong, immature or selfish. That’s fine by me.

My current goal, working here in Japan is $22,000 by the end of 2011. My average in the last few months is about $1,750 out of a monthly payday of $2,800 — a monthly savings of about 62% of my income.  Not bad considering it’s Japan.

10 things I do to save money:

1. Limit monthly expenses. Have a cell phone and a land line? Axe the land line. Downgrade to the lowest possible mobile plan and only use SMS. Any other service (cable, Netflix, etc) that you pay monthly for, ask yourself: How much do I really need this? Can I get this (internet, etc) somewhere else without paying? (ie. Library)

2. Stop going to bars. They don’t call it drinking away your money for nothing. Instead, try hosting a potluck at your apartment. You’ll probably end up with leftovers and if you’re lucky, a spare bottle of wine for the week.

3. Analyze your spending habits. If I find my money is going too quickly, I write down every penny I spent for a week. $5 a day for that Starbucks latte doesn’t sound like a lot, but it adds up to almost $2000 over the course of a year.

4. Pay yourself first. The day you get paid, separate your money into two piles: monthly budget, and savings for X trip. I put my trip savings in an account that I don’t touch, even if I spend my monthly budget money too fast.

5. Find a job situation that covers some of your necessary expenses. If you haven’t started working yet to save, look for jobs that include arrangements that cover some expenses, such as rent or food. I decided on my past job because, although the salary was relatively low ($27,000 a year), the job included room and board, allowing me to pocket 100% of my after-tax salary. (I used half the money to finish paying back student loans and the other half to travel)

6. Don’t buy anything new. Again, you should be asking yourself: how much do I really need this (shirt, guitar, etc). It amazes me when people ask me how I can save so much money, especially people who make double what I do, and spend their hard-earned money on Plasma TVs in every room and new silver plated rims on their Honda Civics. (Okay, I made the last one up – I don’t know anybody with a Civic).

7. Have a yard sale. If you’re planning a long trip, a few months before you leave, take everything you don’t need anymore that’s worth more than $30 and list it on Ebay. Take everything that didn’t sell and the cheaper items and have a yard sale – Craig’s list works wonders for getting rid of junk!

8. Take advantage of smart offers. i.e. Credit cards with cash back. I got a Citi Mastercard that gave me 2% cash back on every dollar I spent. I used it for everything and received a check for $600 after the second year. A quick google search for “best (insert your country here) credit cards with cashback” will tell you what’s best at the moment. Caveat: it just occurred to me that not everybody pays their balance in full every month – this one will only make you money if you clear your balance every month. Otherwise, skip it.

9. Get a roommate. Whatever you’re paying in rent right now, imagine paying half of that. Have lots of space? Imagine paying just a third of that. Short term sacrifice (lack of privacy, dirty dishes) for long-term gain (a year off work!). Plus, there’s a lot to be said for shared living.

10. Parent’s house for the transition. Once you’ve amassed most of your nest-egg, there’s no shame in heading to the parent’s house for that period of time between working and setting off. Okay, there’s a little shame, but suck it up. You’ll save money, get home-cooked meals, and the parents will love it.

Opinions Please!

This weekend has been a bit hectic, with all the earthquake and tsunami-related stuff going on not too far away. To be clear, I wasn’t directly affected here in Shizuoka (aside from feeling the earthquake), but it was enough to seriously change my weekend plans. On that note, my thoughts are with all the people affected by the tsunamis.

I decided to take a break from writing this week and introduce a monthly series, Unconventional Interviews: conversations with people who are living interesting, outside-the-box lives.

This month’s interview is with Tanissa. In the last ten years, she’s taught English in Korea and China, worked as a divemaster in Thailand, for an NGO in Azerbaijan, as a bike guide in eastern Canada, and even as a volunteer coordinator for the Olympics in Vancouver. She’s traveled all over the world, and she’s just an all-round awesome person. Here’s her interview:

Where are you and what are you doing now?

I am currently in Cape Town, South Africa, doing a three month term placement for my Masters degree.

Of all the places you’ve been, which is your favorite?

It’s hard to pinpoint just one, as every place is steeped with it’s own memories, relationships and experiences specific to the time and reason I was there, so every place has left a lasting impression on me.  I would have to say that I have really fallen in love with the East Coast of Canada and that the Caribbean will always hold a piece of my heart, likely because Jamaica was the first place I ever lived/worked in for an extended period of time.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, most disappointing, or most challenging?

Undoubtedly, my time in Azerbaijan was one of the most challenging and frustrating years of my life. The combination of crusty, old-school (Soviet) mentalities, heated tempers and difficult development work was much to endure, which I credit to the support and companionship of my colleagues and good friends there. Visits from family and friends, as well as holidays outside the country, also made a big difference. Despite the challenges and the grief it caused, I still value this time in such a unique part of the world and often find myself longing for a bowl of delicious lentil soup and the random, absurd encounters only found in this part of the world!

What are the rewards of your nomadic lifestyle?

Being stretched outside my comfort zone and growing in new ways. Continously learning more about myself and others. Meeting wonderful and interesting people I might not otherwise associate with, and experiencing the kindness of strangers.  A life where nothing is ordinary and every day is an unexpected adventure.

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How much does it cost to travel? I get asked this question a lot.

The answer: Half a million dollars. Read on.

Last time I was in Halifax, while scanning the Globe and Mail’s lifestyle section, a headline caught my eye:  Couple cost out a life of travel.

The article profiled a 40-ish couple who were looking to retire early (at 60 rather than 65) and then spend each year living in a new country: France, Morroco, Egypt — yeah, this was a little while ago…

The article examined the couple’s finances and incomes and calculated how much money the couple would need to save before saying goodbye to their jobs to live their dream life. The number the financial analyst came up with? $50,000 for each year they were on the road. Ten years of travel would mean $500,000. Count those zeroes, that is not a typo. The happy couple estimated they would reach their goal in a mere 15-20 years. Just in time for their first hip-replacement surgery.

So, if I want to see the world, all I need is to wait twenty years until I’ve saved up half a million dollars. Awesome. Inspirational.

The article demonstrates two assumptions that I disdain about mainstream financial culture: the deferred lifestyle plan and the idea that travel needs to be expensive.

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2010. The year of half-baked plans, false-start projects, and half-finished songs. It was not a good year for me and productivity. We had arguments. We threatened each other (“But you need me! You’ll see!”). And for a long time we didn’t speak.

My passion and hobby of writing songs (something I started in 2009) fell by the wayside to watching downloaded episodes of Top Gear and late nights immersed in Japanese animation series.  My promises on the blog homepage to restart writing were continually extended – “I’ll write again when I start traveling” became “I’ll start writing when I’m working again”. Any regular readers I may have had are long gone, I’m sure.

But I let it happen. And sometimes it takes reaching a certain level of dissatisfaction to be able to make a drastic change in your life. In the past, writing on this blog has helped keep me motivated and accountable for my goals, something I sincerely miss. So, I hereby reclaim Project Hitchhiker, and commit to writing one post per week for the next year. To be clear, this is a promise to myself, and to any readers willing to trust me again: I will post every Sunday, for the next year.

What did I actually do last year? 2010 in Review

Despite hardly accomplishing anything of note, I did have a great year. I had fun and traveled a lot – and there were certainly periodic intervals of awesomeness.

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