About

Hi, I'm Christine Gilbert. This is my blog. And no, Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat Pray Love fame is not my sister.

Almost Fearless — that’s what my husband jokingly called me in 2008 when I decided, ever so tentatively, to quit my cushy corporate job in order to travel full time and start my career over again at 31 — this time as a writer, a photographer, a blogger, a documentary filmmaker and whatever other -er titles I could dream up.

The truth is, I didn’t feel fearless at all. I felt like I was free-falling, untethered, sucking in air as the ground rushed up towards me and then… it was all different. Against all odds, I pieced together a creative career. I’m not the best writer or photographer or blogger even, but somehow, out of pure necessity (and the hubris to never give up), it has become my life. Then in the fall of 2010, my husband was laid off from his job and I became the primary bread winner. It scares the hell out of me, and yet, it’s working.

Oh, and in March of 2010, we had a baby. Now we travel around the world avec l’enfant and it feels just as reckless and idiotic as when I turned in my notice at GE.

So what is this blog about? It’s about travel. It’s about creating a life that works for you. It’s about the fact that life is indeed bloody short and no one is going to give you a gold star for playing it safe. It’s about me, my husband and our adorable little bubba. And some people tell me, if you’re in the right kind of mood (or perhaps looking for your own escape hatch), that it’s about you too.

Where We’ve Traveled

We’re not into counting countries or miles or trying to one-up other travelers when they tell stories. But, a lot of people ask about our travels, so here it is: all the countries/territories we’ve visited (36). Alaska, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Burning Man (Black Rock City), Cambodia, Canada, Canary Islands, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, France, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City, and the Yukon.

The Cast

Christine aka the baby mama: I consider myself a writer, but most days I’m doing a little bit of everything: writing, blogging, design, photography, editing video, marketing, business strategy, travel planning, email wrangling and baby chasing. I write travel stories and consult but most of my time is spent on this site. Yup. I’m one of those. A blogger. Basically it’s because I don’t work well with a boss and I don’t have the discipline to focus on any one thing for long. (Did I mention I’m easily bored?) We plan our travel around the fact that I go slightly insane if I’m any place any longer than a few weeks. Oh, I also love to cook but we never seem to have a decent kitchen.

Drew aka my crazy husband: Drew and I have been together since 2000. Yeah, in those days it was a dial up connection and chatting over AOL IM. Now we just use wifi to write on each other’s FB wall while sitting in the same room. Ah, love. Drew is the guy that does all the crazy ass sh*t. He eats gross things in Thailand. He hikes volcanos in Bali. He spends two weeks straight on an Indian train — even after getting Delhi belly. Why? Because I make him. He’s also an amazing artist, an art school graduate, an animator and my co-director on the documentary we’re filming. He has his own, somewhat neglected, blog here or his very active tumblr account here.

Cole aka bubba: Cole is proof that God loves me and wants me to travel. Someone once asked me, “Why is your baby so quiet?” and the answer is just, “I am freaking lucky.” He has flown dozens of flights, taken seven hour train rides, 12 hour car rides and endless taxis — all with a zen attitude, a smile and most likely, a little drool. He’s also a big fan of bananas and Indian curries. I think he might be fluent in Hindi.