AlmostFearless.com

When my husband and I sold all our belongings and committed ourselves to traveling full-time, we were lucky.  It was 3 months ago, and while the economy wasn’t great, we didn’t have to make our decision against the backdrop of an uncertain financial future.  I just checked my retirement account (401K invested in mutual funds) [...]

Since I’ve been home, I’ve been plunged head first into the maelstrom of news and coverage regarding the upcoming election and the economic crisis.  When I was overseas, I followed the election tangentially.  I read the coverage.  I talked to people about who they thought would win (most people in Spain said McCain and thought [...]

A quick story, adding to the general mythos of when social media works (or how). You might have heard that a blogger got a writing gig last week from something she wrote on Twitter. The blogger was Pam from Nerd’s Eye View (great site, check it out) and she wrote: “Freelance technical writing pays my [...]

It’s cold outside. I drank my morning coffee on the porch and watched the fog lift. The trees are already turning and I can’t hear people, cars or anything except the cackle of some crows. I’m definitely not in Madrid anymore. We arrived in Vermont on Saturday, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I [...]

This has been a struggle for me all summer.  You show up in Paris, and you can either sit down with your laptop or explore the Latin Quarter.  Guess who wins?  If you’re trying to balance travel and work (for me, writing) you might find it harder than you thought.  Pre-trip, I imagined cranking out [...]

I used to be a corporate road warrior.  I traveled lots, all on the company dime.  For my suffering, I earned miles with several airlines, hotel chains and car rental places.  These miles have allowed me to book free flights, get free hotel stays and rent cars at discounted prices.  Not a bad deal. American [...]

When I arrived in Dublin, my bus from the airport broke down.  I asked the driver, “Is this the Central Bus Station”.  Nope.  I headed to grab a taxi, when I found out I was about only 200 meters away.  We weren’t at the Central Bus Station, but if we had been any closer I [...]

I’ve canceled the last trip on my itinerary:  Morocco.  After my husband’s bout with Mumps, and after reading the comments informing me that, yes, Mumps is back, I started to research.  It turns out if you do get Mumps, it can gestate for 15-18 days before you show any symptoms.  During this period and for [...]

It’s been a strange weekend. My husband has contracted some mysterious virus, and I’ve been playing nurse and trying not to catch what the doctor called, “very contagious”. I will find out soon enough if I have it. It’s kind of like buying a lottery ticket and hoping your number doesn’t come up. Let me [...]

I’m nearing the end of my time in Europe– for now.  So it’s not without a bit of sadness, that I find myself saying goodbye to Europe, via my trip to Ireland.  Is this the last cafe?  The last pint?  The last time a cab driver will refuse to give me a ride, because I’m [...]