10 Great Reads from the Travel Blogosphere

As a new travel blogger, I find that reading other travel blogs is not only a great source of information for your travels, but also for community and inspiration for your own travel writing. There’s a ton of really fantastic travel blogging happening out there, and my Bloglovin’ feed tends to fill up with great stuff much faster than I can read it. I’ve started bookmarking things I really like, and I’m going to start making regular posts of my favorites every couple weeks or so.

That being said, here’s my first-ever Great Reads post!

//What’s Wrong With ‘1000 Places to See Before You Die?’ – Intelligent Travel

This post really resonated with me. I’ve always felt a little weird about bucket lists, but have never really been able to articulate the reason for it. Luckily for me, Robert Reid wrote about it more eloquently than I ever could. Always keep in mind that travel is about the experience, not about ticking boxes on a list.

//The Ultimate Manifesto for Eternal Happiness and How to Find Work Overseas – Around the World in 80 Jobs

This post is extremely helpful for those interested in working overseas. Definitely worth a read!

//8 Ways to Make Meaningful Connections with Locals on Your Travels – Vagabondish

The unfortunate part about hostel living or relying on your community of expat friends is that you end up spending most of your time with other travelers, and not necessarily with people who live in the place you are visiting. This is a great guide to being able to find ways to interact with locals.

//5 Great Australian Road Trips – Bitten by the Travel Bug

I’m moving to Australia in October, and hope to take part in some road trips while I’m there. These trips all look fantastic!

//Traveler Guilt, I’m Over It – Megan Joy Jaunts

I really enjoyed this post. I too experience travel guilt. Should I post this picture? Will people think I’m bragging or showing off? How much should I talk to people at home about the things I’m doing? Megan assures us that we should not feel guilty about our travels. We’ve earned them, and should feel good about having great travel experiences.

//Ten Ways to Travel Green – Go See Write

Great trips for leaving less of a carbon footprint when we travel.

//The One Little Thing: American Currency – USD – Her Packing List

It had never occurred to me how useful USD could be outside of the US! Apparently a lot of places will accept USD, so it’s worthwhile to carry some in case you’re in a pinch.

//The Greatest Rail Journeys on Earth – Wanderlusters

I loooove traveling by train. There’s something so romantic about it: facing the other passengers as you both read the newspaper, pulling into stops in more remote towns, and really getting to see the area you’re traveling through via slower, overland travel. I hope to take at least a couple of these incredible rail journeys in my lifetime.

//Tips for Traveling with No Plans (For the Rebel in You) – Hippie in Heels

I’ve really enjoyed reading Hippie in Heels these last few months. Rachel has a lot of thoughtful, informative posts that have really boosted my confidence as a solo female traveler. I loved this post about planning for not planning, and her post about backpacking in India alone is also a must-read.

//Watching these two old women fly for the first time is pure gold – Gizmodo

Last, but certainly not least, is a video Gizmodo posted about two women who have never flown on an airplane before. Spoiler alert: these ladies are basically the cutest people in the whole world. Their true enjoyment and wonder in a travel experience most of us take for granted is incredibly inspiring. Upon landing in Barcelona, every moment of their trip is experienced with joy and appreciation, and those feelings I hope to carry with me in my own travels. Warning, if you’re a big softie like me, you might cry a little.