Photo by Ilse Reijs and Jan-Noud Hutten

I’ve been home for five months now, and even with the constant domestic travel and occasional Couchsurfing, the loneliness still creeps up on me. No, that’s not right… not loneliness, but rather that feeling of losing what makes travel so special.

In a foreign country, you can’t help but stand out. You’re the new face, the new language, the new hair, the new personality… the new everything. That strangeness extends to your own behavior as well. You have to adapt quickly to changing and unfamiliar circumstances, meet and talk with people who may have nothing in common with you. It keeps your brain firing, and you’re always guessing.

That may sound unpleasant to the non-traveler, but to those of us who love the feeling of strange, returning home leaves us unstimulated, bored and out of place.

How can we recapture the spark of travel?

Certainly, you could move on to another country. Or you can find a job that allows you to recapture those feelings of being abroad.

Photo by cvconnell

Mascot

Being a mascot for a promotional event — Energizer Bunny, Geico gecko for example — reproduces the feeling of being a stranger in a strange land. You draw attention to yourself based purely on appearance, so if you can’t speak the language, it really doesn’t matter.


Not that they’d be able to hear you in that suit, anyway. High paying contract work makes this ideal for travelers temporarily or even permanently repatriated.

Tour Guide

Tour guides puts you in the position of working with people from all different nationalities. Most of the people you’ll encounter in this position generally only stay for a short period of time. Just as you represent your country as an expat, you do so while escorting visitors from landmark to landmark.

The same position, but without the income? Couchsurfing host.

Entertain At Children’s Parties

Photo by Shopping Diva

Similar to mascot work, the trend of hiring superhero and princess costumed entertainers at children’s parties offers you the chance to teach kids to believe in magic, fairy tales and superhero powers. This job is high paying, with flexible hours and the added bonus of seeing the look in a child’s eyes as he sees his favorite cartoon character come to life.

Other jobs allow you to maintain a flexible schedule — so you can take off for travel when you want — or give you the benefits of working on the road. Travel writer or photographer are two well loved Matadorian professions. Here are some others to consider.

Convention Worker

I tried this one not too long ago, promoting different companies at various conventions across the US. In Reno, I met several Kiwis and Aussies selling vacation packages. One hitch: convention workers are generally hired in-house. You can talk to your current company about including some extra work as an added perk. Expect between $10-30/hr.

Scuba Instructor

I met a Couchsurfer on Kou Tao who found his bliss working as a scuba instructor around the world. The position of scuba instructor is highly specialized, always in demand, and pays fairly well. Kou Tao is a great, cheap place to get trained up if you’re considering this. Averages about $33,000/year.

If you’re an avid diver, though, without the extensive training required to be an instructor, you can also find work on dive boats and in dive shops worldwide.

Photo by derekGavey

Chef

Why not apply to be a sous chef at any number of international hotels, casinos, resorts? You’ll be eating well and have a bit of luxury many travelers don’t have. You’d be eating well, too.


There are also some very specialized positions that allow you to visit places the general public aren’t allowed. For example, head chef for scientists studying at Isla de los Monos in Panama. Salary varies considerably.

International Hotel Concierge

You’re a tour guide, but essentially standing behind a desk, waiting for others’ obscure questions about the area. Regardless, being a concierge in a large city with an international hotel offers a bit more stability that most traveling jobs, and as long as you’re knowledgeable about your surroundings and have a decent amount of experience in hospitality, it’s worth a short-term contract. If you’re just getting started, consider being a waitress or host to prepare for the position.

Interpreter

You must be good. Pass that language test. Show references. Be prepared for anything. While you won’t need the precision of an official United Nations’ interpreter, this is not a good profession to take on if you’re not confident in your language skills. If you are, however, the world is a land of milk and honey: free travel, the chance to speak with foreigners on a regular basis, very high pay. Think around $65,000/year for a stable position, but you can charge almost anything when answering on-call demands and Craigslist ads.

Photo by jimg944

Cruise ship

Working on a cruise ship isn’t entirely freelance but offers limited-term contracts and the chance to explore countries between ports of call. Do you have experience working with children? Why not go for youth activities director? Feel like being surrounded by smoke and alcohol? Blackjack dealer is best for you. Short-term contracts guarantee you free room and board, as well as a few thousand dollars for a few months’ work.

Nurse/EMT

Well qualified health care is needed world wide. There are plenty of services that provide short term and often renewable contracts, that allow you to travel, live and work anywhere in the world. Salary does vary, but often includes health insurance, apartment rentals and plenty of time off to do your own exploration.

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Any other jobs you’d recommend for people who love to travel? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Also, coming soon to Matador Life. A new series on jobs, called How’d You Get That Gig? We’ll explore different professions, dream jobs and careers that are fun, flexible, and allow for travel. We’ll even show you how to train for them and land the job for yourself.

Our first instalment will be How’d You Get That Gig? Boat Captain. Watch for it in the coming weeks.

Photo by Mr Wabu

I first learned of this custom of giving gifts on my birthday in college. I was working on a project focusing on Native American culture in the United States and found myself sitting somewhere near Greenville, South Carolina in the backyard of an Occaneechi man named John Blackfeather drinking beer and attempting to shoot his home made arrows. Before we left, he gave me an arrow and a dreamcatcher he constructed himself.

“It’s my birthday,” John told us. I must have given him a funny look because he continued. “Oh, we Indians are different,” he joked. “We give gifts on our birthdays instead of receiving.”

So that is exactly what I did. The only rule is it can’t cost money. This year, by the end of the March 20th, I learned how true a tired old adage can be.

It’s Better To Give Than Receive

Photo by Wonderlane

I’ve always thought this little saying was tied to an often misguided altruistic streak that runs through our common human nature, and many times, it’s only words. Thing is, in spite of all I write about finding the positive in things you dislike and trusting life, I’m really quite a cynical person. Ten-plus years living in New York City, I suppose, can do that to a person. This year, though, my little birthday experiment taught me more about generosity of others and gratitude than I ever could have learned by saying thank you for gifts bought and bestowed.

In the immortal words of every writing teacher I’ve ever had: Show don’t tell.

I was presented with 25 (so far) different challenges.

Fourteen of them center on writing, blogging, editing, researching or requesting particular subjects for upcoming blog posts. All things I do for my own work. Thank you for telling me that you respect my expertise and enjoy reading my writing enough to want more.

Five people requested we meet for coffee the next time I’m in Atlanta or New York. How could I possibly refuse people who tell me that when offered anything, all they desire is my presence?

Four seek travel advice. You value my opinion?

Pam Mandel from Nerd’s Eye View asked me to spread word about the TBEX call for entries. I’ve been planning to send in an entry myself but then forgot entirely. I didn’t even put it on my to-do list. Thank you for the reminder.

Matador’s own Nick Rowlands presented an interesting challenge.

I’d like you to write a letter – a proper, old-skool pen and paper job – to any friend or family member that lives overseas and you haven’t contacted for too long.

We all have complicated relationships in our lives. This is one for me. There’s one person with whom I haven’t spoken in three years. We haven’t written, e-mailed or called.This person had been one of my best friends for over a decade. Someone I wrote to regularly throughout college and to whom I turned when my life seemed most overwhelming. The story of what happened is filled with sturm und drang and I really can’t get into it here for many reasons, but last night I put pen to paper, sealed and addressed the letter I sent today.

Thank you, Nick, for this. I never would have reached out otherwise. Life is too short to hold onto complications.

What Would You Like?

I’m about half way through the list of challenges now, and as I fill each one, I find myself wishing there were more. I realize, too, how much courage it takes to ask another human being for a favor. These days, too often, it seems we equate wanting help with weakness. And even though my birthday has since passed, I invite all of you to request something.

That will be your birthday gift to me.

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As a full time technical writer and a part-time travel writer, a great deal of my life is online. My email is often the first thing I check in the morning, and the last thing I shut down at night. There are times when I get panicked if I’m away from the computer for so long.

For example, as I’m writing this on my lunch break, the office’s Internet is down. I keep sporadically refreshing my browser, just in case I miss something important. Like an email announcing the implosion of the universe.

The same goes for writing online. I spend so much time talking to Matador Life’s editor Leigh Shulman that our work chats eventually lead to men discussions or stories about the tadpoles in the backyard of her garden. I even know the color of her new couch. Red, custom made.

We editors are all spread out across the globe, so the Internet is really our only option.

But the world doesn’t stop when you’re offline. I came to this realization last week, when I had planned on devoting my entire Sunday afternoon to catching up on work. But the day was uncharacteristically beautiful, the first hint of spring, and I was aching to get outside. My roommate Renee and I went for a three hour hike instead, we ate ice-cream and sat atop Signal Hill looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. I thought, “These moments are the kind you live for. Not the ones sitting in front of a computer screen.”

While it’s impractical to cut out the Internet entirely, here are a few ways to cut back on your Internet addiction.

Understand your offline relationships are the most important.

I like to think the people I’ve encountered over the past few months are my friends. They’re an amazing support network, a community of like-minded people. But it’s important to nurture the “real life” relationships, the people who have been there from the beginning. The kind of friends who will bail you out of the drunk tank, or lend you some money when all you can afford to eat is canned soup. This especially applies to family members.

Take time everyday to enjoy moments with friends and family. If you’re like me, working from 9-5, you spend most of your life with colleagues. Sanity needs to be preserved.

Make time to connect with Internet friends offline.

Photo by xiordashx

If you’re connecting with so many people online, actually make the effort to meet up with them in real life. Meeting someone for the first time offline is more than a little intimidating, but you really can’t tell what kind of a bond you actually have until you’re face to face. Attend a Travel Blog Exchange, book a suite apartment with a bunch of travelers and party until daylight. Or crash on someone’s couch via Couchsurfing.

Resist fancy phones with data packages.

I have purposely refused to buy an iPhone simply because I know I’ll be checking my phone constantly for texts and Facebook messages. Sometimes I find myself out with friends, checking my emails. Why? What is the hurry?

You’ll end up being that douchebag, the one with his/her nose buried in a phone being too arrogant to participate in real conversation.

If you’re a traveler and you need your phone to get work done, this may not work for you. But at least limit your phone time. Buy a more restrictive phone package, or simply place it in a drawer far from sight for a period of time each day.

Have an unplugged, offline day.

One whole day, sun-up to sun-down. Think you can handle it? Make a big breakfast, finish some laundry, run some errands, join a friend for a cup of tea, read something from the stack of books on your nightstand, go for a jog, sit outside in the sun. Life really does happen beyond the computer.

Find other ways to connect with people.

Facebook, instant messenger, and email are the most popular methods of communication between me and my real life friends. It’s convenient and quick, and a great way to communicate with several people at once.

But draw the line somewhere. Instead of instant messaging a friend to ask if they’d like to go for a walk, pick up the phone. Show up unannounced at their door, if you don’t mind being that annoying “pop-in” person.

Don’t be available all the time.

This is my biggest issue. At my office, we use the Internet and instant messaging freely while working. Some days I get people messaging me to chat, and then they get furious when I don’t reply. It is absolutely necessary to separate work time from personal time. If you keep socializing with the outside world at work, you’re asking to be fired.

The same goes for phones. I’ve had several people over the years say, “Why don’t you ever answer your phone?” Sometimes I don’t want to. It’s a choice, and it should be respected. Also, I may or may not like you and would rather not say it to your face. Sometimes it’s best not to ask questions.

Write a list of everything you used to do before you were addicted to the Internet.

I find it difficult to imagine exactly what I used to do with my spare time, but I feel it involved a lot of reading and letter writing. If you put it all down on paper, you’ll get a good idea of just how much time you’re wasting.

Seriously, if you have a real Internet addiction, get help.

There’s actually oodles of information for people who are addicted to cyber-sex and Facebook. If you’re drawn to whipping out your genitals on live webcamera in front of an audience, you should probably heed real, professional advice.

Not convinced these ideas will work? Try a web application that will help monitor your Internet time. Ironic, no?

Community Connection

Learn how to travel unplugged, or break free from your television addiction.

Photo by tanakawho

 
There’s something irresistibly satisfying about checking off an item on our to-do list. It’s the feeling of productivity, accomplishment and the knowledge you’ve freed up an afternoon to do something fun, like watch soaps in your pajamas…or get more work done.

Doing it wrong. Photo by Candice Walsh

But most of us seem to keep lists for everything, and the compulsion borders on obsession. In fact, take this conversation between Matador Life’s editor Leigh Shulman and I which exemplifies the insanity of list-makers:
 

 Leigh: I came to the realization that I need to update my to-do list and separate it into four lists for each of my main projects. If someone would pay me to update my own to-do list, I could make a full time job out of it.

 Candice: I’m the same way, lists written everywhere. My friend once told me I should write a list of reasons why I like making lists.

While browsing through a bookstore the other day, I came across a book titled Listography. The whole idea is actually based on the website, where people can sign up for “life in lists.” There’s everything from “people who have changed my life” to “websites with the best animals.” My only question is how did I not find this site earlier?

Weekend Wish List. Photo by Carina Port

Then there’s the curious question of what our lists say about us. What do we place at the top? Why do we prefer handwritten vs digital, or vice versa? Perhaps the following will enlighten.

 
The Digital List

Pros
-You’re being environmentally friendly
-Quick and easy editing
-The ability to update and keep track of your list via email, so it’s with you almost always
-Store a list on your phone, complete with reminder alerts to keep you on your toes
-The satisfaction of deleting tasks entirely
 
Cons
-They lack personal touch
-If you switch back and forth between computers, things get complicated
-You can’t express your creativity through doodling
 

New Years Resolution list of short and long term goals. Photo by Susan Forshner

The Handwritten List

Pros
-You can stick it in a backpack or purse and carry it anywhere
-If you have an affinity for stationery, fancy pens are a bonus

Photo by JoAnna Haugen

-You can keep all the lists in a journal
-Striking out a task with a flourish of the wrist is fun

Cons
-They’re easily misplaced
-Paper causes unnecessary clutter
-You’ll inevitably start a dozen different lists and start sticking them around your workspace

(And yes, I’m aware those were lists.)

Some websites even like to capitalize on our OCD behavior by offering spreadsheets and organizational tools for download, such as Productive Flourishing and Four Hour Work Week. These websites encourage being aware of your goals, setting the bar high, and getting stuff done. Productive Flourishing even offers “momentum coaching,” a process meant to generate new ideas and develop brainstorming methods. What does all this say about list-makers? We’re brilliant, obviously. Sometimes we just need a push.

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Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
 

Photo by normalityrelief/ Feature Photo by eyesogreen

Old School

According to ancient wisdom, your environment reflects your life. Therefore making improvements in one will positively influence the other. This can be done by understanding placement and integrating the five natural elements – fire, wood, water, metal and earth – in your home.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of balanced placement based on the concept that energy — called chi — must be free to flow through the rooms of your home. When energy is blocked it causes strained relationships, bad finances and ailing health. Feng Shui corrects the imbalance.

Simple measures like de-cluttering, enhancing natural light, using natural materials, strategic arrangement of furniture and incorporating influential symbols in the décor infuse a sense of peace and calm in the home.

Photo by seeveeaar

One of the most most popular Feng Shui pieces is the bamboo shoot. It combines and extends the benefits of the five natural elements, absorbs surrounding negativity and brings the homeowner good fortune. Another favorite is the Buddha.

Vaastu Shastra

Vaastu Shastra is a system of architecture based on the ancient Vedic texts. It focuses on designs that channel positive energy from natural elements in the environment to the homeowners.

Vaastu has specific rules regarding construction. These include the order and direction of specific rooms, materials used, direction in which doors and windows open. It also provides remedies in case these changes aren’t possible.

Like Feng Shui, Vaastu is based on the concept of flowing energy. A common rule suggests leaving a slight gap between walls and furniture for a conflict free home.

Zen Interiors

The Zen design ethic draws inspiration from Zen philosophy. It focuses on minimalistic and tranquil designs, allowing homeowners to create a peaceful sanctuary against the chaos at work in the outside world.

Photo by Jim Moore

Zen puts great emphasis on letting go of all non-essentials that collect in the house. Use soft colors, minimalistic furnishing and make sure that every article in the house draws from one of the five natural elements. In these ways, you help move energy-trapping-clutter out and make way for a long happy life.

The Middle Ground

The old traditions include color therapy as a means to improve peace and calm. Science seems to agree.

Color Therapy

Color influences emotions, and as a result color sensitivity or color imbalance can negatively impact your outlook. Color therapy finds the right colors and figures proportions to reestablish balance.

When making color choices, consider your environment and personality first – bright colors uplift mood; softer colors help control aggression. Be sure to factor in the basic reactions color generates. The color violet as an example, is known to calm the mind. Therefore using it in the bedroom is an effective way of dissolving tensions that cause migraines and sleep disorders.

For the Fiercely Logical

Don’t believe in that stuff? For you, there’s a simpler route.

Clean & Organize

Years of clutter contribute to confusion and chaos. A clean and organized space allows for more focus and a clearer, positive way forward. Do the dishes before bed, make the bed as soon you wake up; get rid of all the extras by donating what you can and recycling the rest. Your home will instantly feel lighter, happier.

Photo by reiner.kraft

Green Up

Adopting green living methods allows for a healthier life.

Many regular household agents, like detergents and air sprays, contain harmful chemicals and toxins. Constant use leads to a build-up of harsh pollutants in your immediate environment, resulting in health disorders. You can avoid this by opting for greener substitutes.

Also consider bringing living plants and fresh flowers into the house. They add color and purify the air in the room. In case of a small bedroom however, it’s best to avoid having large plants. Plants utilize oxygen and give off carbon dioxide at night, this could impact breathing and sleeping patterns.

Be sure to open windows and let natural light flood the house everyday. This simple move drains out musty air and replenishes the home with fresh oxygen, while the streaming sunlight brings in Vitamin D, an important nutrient for healthy living.

Community Connection

Another sure shot way to boost the peace and calm at home is to maintain a happy, joyous mind. Clear out the negativity with Matador’s 20 Basic, Fun, Sexy Resources for Beginning Meditators.

Photo by kennymatic

Working remotely is on the dream list for a lot of people with a sense of wanderlust. Even if your work isn’t travel related, having a job that lets you move around certainly makes life more enjoyable. So how do you run your business from anywhere? Here’s a quick guide to the essential tools you’ll need if you want to pick up and run your business from all corners of the globe.

Invest in a good computer

This may sound like a no-brainer, but if you’re serious about running a business that can be executed from anywhere, your computer is going to be one of your main investments. Some businesses are obviously more computer dependent than others, but at a bare minimum you’re going to need it to do business transactions via the Internet, keep track of your finances, etc. So don’t skimp! Make a list of everything you are going to need your computer to do, and buy accordingly. Invest in insurance for your technology as well; dealing with a computer crash on your own is no business owners dream.

Photo by U Oregon Conference Services

Skype

Skype, the Internet telephone service, is an excellent tool for keeping in touch with business partners and clients. Maintaining more than an email relationship is an important part of business relationships; people want to have real conversations, and taking time to hop on a 30 minute conference call can answer many more questions than a day’s worth of email can.

If your business clients have their own Skype accounts, you can talk for free. Otherwise, invest a few dollars in Skype Out, which allows you to call landlines for inexpensive rates. If you’re running a business where having a telephone number is useful, you can also purchase Skype In, which gives you a phone number that people can call from a regular landline as well as voicemail. You can also conveniently use the service from your iPhone.

Back up

With any work that you’re doing, you’ll want to be sure to back it up. External hard drives have become much less expensive these days and are an excellent investment. You’ll be able to store documents, photos and beyond, ensuring that everything you’ve produced in your business is in a safe place. A lot of my fellow freelancer and adventurer friends use the LaCie Rugged. You can also use online tools for backing up and storing data like Evault and Ibackup.

Photo by twak

Stay organized

If you’re thinking about launching your own business, you’ll want to have all your papers in order from the get go. The more organized you are in the beginning, the smoother the ride will be later. Check out books like Small Business for Dummies, which has a great overview of all the things you need to be thinking about when running a business. Also, make programs like Excel and Quickbooks your new best friends.

Make sure you have a physical address

Even if you can run your business 100% remotely, you’re still going to want a permanent physical address. You will certainly need this for a business license, but it’s also always nice to keep a physical address that clients can send hard documents to if need be. If you’re running a business where you’re mostly on the run and don’t have a permanent address yourself, ask upon friends and family; just be sure you’re choosing an address that isn’t going to change every few months.

Google Apps for Business

If you’re running a business with a couple of partners, Google Apps is a great tool to collaborate on projects and stay in touch. You get the functionality of regular Google applications like Gmail, Google Talk and Google Docs, but with your business email. PC World has an excellent breakdown of just what all the applications are and how they help.

Harness the power of social media

In terms of marketing, using social media tools like Twitter and Facebook can be a small investment with a big pay-off, be it for newly launched businesses or already established ones. Setting up a blog is also a great way to create exposure for yourself as well as allowing you to brand your business. Write about what you’re up to and who you’re working with. A business-oriented blog also allows you to brand yourself as a specialist in your field, another integral part of landing more business contract. Remember that social media channels also allow you to do location-independent marketing, broadening your audience and getting you global exposure.

Community Connection

Do you have any other tips for working on the road? Offer them in the comments!

I’m all for artificial intelligence and even look forward to the day I can have a nice chat with my toaster over a cup of coffee, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend my time listening carefully to voice recorded options.

Photo by Ernop

You know who I mean. That annoying (usually) woman who tells you to wait until you’ve heard all the options before making a choice. Normally, that’s good life advice. This does not apply when you’re trying to get through to AT&T to find out why your bill is suddenly twice what you think it should be.

Enter Get Human!

An online listing of hundreds of companies worldwide with information on how to reach them by phone and how to quickly dial through the voice messages in order to talk to a real live human being.

Brilliant!

Then we can all get back to the important things. Like stocking up on free iPhone apps, read a book or even wash your dishes,

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