Updates in the Blogoshpere

In addition to keeping you all informed on what I’m doing and where I’m going while in China, I figure it is only prudent to keep you up to date on what is going on with my blog and the blogs that I read.  The list of blogs that I read gets longer every day.  Some of them are just awesome and I encourage all of you to check them out when you have a chance.  But first, there are a couple of things about my space that I would like you all to know about:

I am constantly updating the Dusty Trail with new places I want to go and links to the posts I’ve written for places I’ve been.

I am on Flickr!  That’s right, I have decided to sign up with the widespread media sharing platform.  On some very sage advice from a very nice and helpful person I have decided to split my photography uploads in two. I will still be posting the majority of my pictures to my Picasa Web Albums, primarily for my family and friends back home so they can get a good idea of the places I am visiting. My best photos, or at least the ones I think are the best, will be posted on Flickr. I am doing this because I want to try to improve my photography and I encourage you all to leave comments on my Flickr stream for ways I can do just that. Also I believe that by showcasing my best work in a single place I can create a more enjoyable picture viewing experience for those of you who may not be as interested in the cornucopia of less-than-stellar pictures I take.

If you check my Contact page you will see that I have added a number of ways in which to connect with me online. I encourage you all to look me up through the various networks and drop me a line, friend me, whatever. Network, network, network!

This Friday I will be starting a series of articles that makes me laugh just thinking about it.  I think expats, or those who have lived abroad at some point, will particularly enjoy it.  What will it be about?  Check back this Friday to find out….

I want feedback!  Probably starting this week or the next I will be soliciting a few of you asking for tips or suggestions on the direction I can take my blog.  It seems like recently I have only had time to focus on traveling, I guess because that’s mostly what I’ve been doing besides work.  Is that OK?  Should I be writing more about my (usually banal) day-to-day adventures?  Should I be writing about teaching English at a Chinese university?  In the coming weeks I will try to find out so look out for an email from yours truly.

Alright, now that I’ve told you all about what I’m up to, I would like to point you in the direction of some really great articles and new blogs I have started reading recently.

Bryan over at Life through the lens of Bryan recently returned from a trip to Colombia, about which he has written several stories and recollections.  My particular favorite is his narrative of his first night in Cartagena. Meeting people with amazing/crazy/odd stories and going on “adventures” with cab drivers is all part of the fun of traveling, right?

WanderingWhy’s Sean and Dawn have just returned to the good ole US of A after 18 months traveling around the world. Theirs is an incredible journey and they have some awesome stories written if you take the time to troll through the archives. I am really looking forward to their ruminations and musings as they readjust to life at home.

I wish Christine Gilbert would update her site, Almost Fearless, more often. Her photography and writing simply rocks. I highly recommend checking out her fantastically thought-provoking piece on the shrinking world and her engrossing narrative of surfing in Mal Pais.

NomadicMatt tells us all why now is the best time to travel. I couldn’t agree more. Also, his musings on whether or not you can travel for too long is a great read. I haven’t done nearly as much traveling as he has, but my opinion? No way.

Stevo tells it how it is, making intelligent observations about day-to-day life in China like I can only dream of. In particular, what are some of the first words an expat learns in Chinese? Oh yeah, duh.

Alan at The 9 to 5 Alternative featured a cool little piece about the world’s biggest everything. I found this fun to read, and guess what two things are getting added to the Dusty Trail?

My Several Worlds recently featured a series of photos of slum dwellers around the world by several different photographers. I found these pictures to be really moving stuff. Carrie has a great talent for writing and features some really provocative material, not to mention that her photography is amazing. I bow before her Blog kung fu.

Chris Guillebeau is still trying to change the world by traveling to every country in it. I think he may be able to do it. He is a great writer and has a ton of tips and tricks for traveling effectively and efficiently. He just recently released his manifesto on 279 days to overnight success (hyperbole?) which I highly recommend reading. Truly great stuff.

Derek at Live Uncomfortably has an endless supply of funny stories to share about his travels through Central and South America. In particular, though, I really enjoyed his reflections on sobriety and productivity. This is something that hits close to home as heavy drinking is something I have been struggling with since college (as a fraternity boy no less. Shocking, I know). Since coming to China my drinking has gone way, way down and I’m happier for it. I’m glad Derek managed to come out of his experiment alive and with a new, positive perspective on it.

Chris at Traveling to Live is still gearing up for his Round the World adventure next year. I look forward to the process he takes in preparing himself as I will probably be doing something very similar in the future. Recently I wrote about my first CouchSurfing experience so I thought it was interesting that Chris recently had his first Surfing experience as well. Rock on CouchSurfers!

All right, that’s all I got for now.  I cannot say enough how awesome these people are.  Some I have exchanged personal emails with (hopefully more in the future, assuming I get my lazy butt in gear) and they are always ready to dole out some helpful advice or a kind word.  I feel like I am entering a whole other community of people that is just as kind and generous as the CouchSurfers, my fraternity, or Diplomacy players.  Some truly great people with good things to say and great stories.  I think I will really enjoy my time here in the Blogosphere.  Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as me, if not more.

Cheers!

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