The very dynamic and soon-to-be-going-on-a-Big Trip to Russia Katie Going Global has nominated me for Tripbase’s 7 Links project. I met Katie at TBEX ’11 and was flattered that she, one of my favorite bloggers, thought to nominate me. I took extra time thinking what posts needed to be surfaced to introduce readers to more posts Take Your Big Trip and showcase some of my favorite seven links. Those new to the site can use this list to get to know Take Your Big Trip a little more and (hopefully!) be inspired to start thinking…hey I can take a Big Trip too. Thank you Katie!
Most Beautiful Post:
Three Surprising Lessons of India This article reflects, in a very brief way, some of the amazing lessons I learned on my first Big Trip to India. My first trip (and favorite) was a pilgrimage and a beginning and as a result India is a destination that I will always strive to return. On this trip, my goal was to open my heart through volunteering at Mother Teresa Charities and with street children in Jaipur and find my own adventures through beautiful serendipity. This brief post is my love letter to a country and trip that changed me forever.
Most Popular Post
Best RTW Travel Planning Articles for Planning Your Own Big Trip My most popular post is a collection of links I’m so proud to present because it helps others plan their own big trip. I dug through three years of archives and tweets to find helpful, humorous and insightful resources for would-be travelers to begin thinking, planning, saving, and finally going on their dream trips. This trip has gotten some amazing Stumble-love started by ChickyBus, so I am forever grateful for her discovery and sharing of the post. It includes links to my posts on budgeting and packing for a Big Trip as well.
Controversial Post
Two Perfect Days in Paris Is it just me or is everyone going to Paris lately? Actually, this post in not controversial at all. Thankfully, there’s been mostly love with my posts in this traveler and would-be traveler community. Instead, I’m featuring a post that is the “most e-mailed by me” to friends, relatives, and coworkers. I visited this magnificent city last year and wrote this article based my experience hitting the big sites and savoring the city. Anyone who mentions his or her European trip may include a visit to Paris gets this link. As a follow up to this post, I published the daring and dangerous Perfectly Pretty Pictures of Paris.
Most Helpful Post
How to Plan a Trip to India in 11 Easy Steps Narrowing down planning a trip to India into anything less than 50 steps seemed an arduous task, but I wanted to share the big things travelers to India need to think about. I sent this post to my India travel friends and asked – did I get this right? The travel friends responded – Yes! I got it right. Planning the trip is only half of it, allowing oneself to become loose and patient with traveling to India is the second and most rewarding part.
A Post Whose Success Surprised You
Open Your Heart: International Volunteering Resources My own experiences doing international volunteering were so rewarding that I wanted to create a collection of how to links for others to experience what I did – an opening of the heart. I wrote this post to bring to light some of my favorites and bookmarks, but it’s gotten some nice traffic numbers because it’s comprehensive and shares different types of resources like stories, directories, and destination-specific experiences.
A Post That Needs a Little More Attention
Seven Types of Egyptian Desert In this photo essay, I try to do justice to the incredible natural diversity of the deserts around the Baharia Oasis in Egypt. When visiting in 2009, I signed up for a tour of the White Desert, but six more colors, types and shapes of desert revealed on the tour. Egypt was the focus of my second Big Trip, one where I spent 2 ½ months in the Middle East and the visit to the Baharia Oasis a highlight. Other highlights from that trip include visiting the Temples and Tombs of Luxor and the lowlight of How Not to Arrange a Felucca Ride on the Nile.
Post I’m Most Proud Of
Travel Pep Talk: You Can Live Your Travel Dreams In meeting would be travelers as a part of this long-term travel community, there is so much excitement and, unfortunately, fear. God knows I’ve been there. I wrote this post to inspire travelers the same way high school valedictorians stand on a pulpit, look out into hopeful and frightened faces of newly minted graduates and say, “you can live your dreams!” I remember sitting at my own graduation and believing those words and it’s those words that I’ve kept in mind as I’ve achieved my travel dreams. When talking with would be travelers about their dream trips, the perceived obstacles always rear their ugly heads. I wrote this article for them because they can live their travel dreams.
Thank you again to Katie, I nominate the following blogs for the 7 Links Project:
This blog is dedicated to you living your travel dreams. I've traveled all over the world on Big Trips. Now, I'm pulling the best of my Big Trips to inspire you to wish/hope/plan your own.
Thanks for the guided tour Kristin! I know there is plenty more to see here and I will be trolling around for a while. Hope you are well. Cheers!
Thank you Gillian!
This is the first post I’ve read on your blog and it certainly invites more reading. Nice photos by the way. I especially love the B&W in Paris… c’est magnifique!!!
Thanks Matt! I’m happy you liked it.
Kristin, I found your site from your interview about “Consulting to Pay for Long-Term Travel” on “Meet, Plan, Go!” I found my way to the present post, which pointed to another post which I’m very interested in reading additional posts about how others have planned/are planning their RTW trip. I’ll be on the road on my own RTW for 9-10 months next year. Thanks again!
Hello! Thank you for your comment and I’m happy that you are planning your own RTW trip. Please let me know if I can answer you any specific questions for you.
Kristin–Hi. Just noticed this. I’m so glad to hear that my “stumbling” of your post helped it get noticed. Awesome when that happens! Anyway, great job here…now going to check out the 7 Types of Egyptian Desert…looks cool!