Do you have a desire that is so secret it is almost unknown even to you? In Jean Kwok’s Mambo in Chinatown, we have the treat of unraveling the life of Charlie Wong: “My name is Charlie Wong and I’m the daughter of a dancer and a noodle-maker. My mother was once a star ballerina … Continued
I got off the bus in a small town in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, where I would change over to another bus on my way to Itaúnas for a famous forró festival. It was late at night, the skies were dark and the small dingy streets illuminated by artificial lights. I was 6 … Continued
The small plane is aimed at the Pacific Ocean before its course is casually adjusted at an angle over the miles of parallel palm plantations below, as though it were an experienced swimmer caught in a rip tide headed back to shore. The altitude drop and final arc of the aircraft signals everyone that we … Continued
Thank you to all the writers who participated in our 2013 Gratitude Travel Writing Contest! Two hundred and eighty-nine writers from thirty-eight nations participated to write about one hundred and two countries for our contest! Click here to read all the entries. AND THE WINNERS ARE: Our First Place Winner is Michael MacKenzie from Australia. Enjoy his article about … Continued
Join us for a live announcement of the 2013 winners of the Gratitude Travel Writing Contest! Direct link to the hangout click here. The Judges, Richard Bangs and Tiffany Hawk, will be live from California and Virginia. Lisa Niver Rajna and George Rajna, founders of We Said Go Travel and authors of Traveling in Sin, … Continued
WINTER 2014 INSPIRATION TRAVEL WRITING CONTEST $1,750usd in CASH PRIZES, Free Entry Enter by February 14, 2014 at midnight PST. We are looking for an article about a place that inspires you to spend your time with no regrets. In Arnold Bennett’s book, How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, he writes about how time is … Continued
I was born in the city in Vietnam and have lived in the fast-paced city life all of my life here in the United States. Although I love the diversity of cultures, exchanges in ideas, and the excitement of city life, time simply flies by so quickly that I often find myself wondering if I … Continued
One of the byproducts of not planning a trip is that expectations drop to ambiguous media tidbits and scattered commentary from friends or fellow travelers, as was the case of Bogota, Colombia. It was the last stop of 3 months of travels through Central and South America, and was a close contender with Peru, Chile … Continued
In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, slightly below Sicily, rests Malta, the largest island in the Maltese archipelago. Valletta, the capital of Malta, is a fortified city built on Mount Sceberras between two harbors with defense in mind during the architectural planning. Walking through the entrance is like being magically transported back in time … Continued
Travel is the Traveler The guidebooks warn about this treacherous, hardscrabble path. “The travel-writing trail is long,” one says, solemnly. “It can be extremely demanding and daunting…lonely, exhausting, and depressing.” But here, I’m undaunted and uninhibited, quickened by a private fire, and the warnings only fan my ardor as I survey the vexing terrain. The … Continued