He was searching for 100 people he photographed five years earlier, many of whom are poor and poorly educated – the demographic most at risk of human trafficking. He filmed the entire search with award-winning photographer, Moreno.

The project was inspired by May, a friend of Ben’s who was kidnapped from Vietnam and was believed to have been sold as a wife or prostitute in China. The search for May herself is the subject of a feature-length documentary called Sisters For Sale that has won awards around the world.

Here’s a week-in-the-life of Ben and Moreno’s journey – their final week in Myanmar, as they continue their search for four former portrait subjects amongst the villages of Shan State.

Update: May 2019 – May has been found! 

This post was originally published in 2014. When Ben reached out to me again recently he shared a preview copy of Sisters For Sale with me, as a thank you for supporting him over the years.

I was utterly blown away by this documentary.

I think Sisters for Sale is something that everybody would benefit to see. Seriously.

Here’s an update from Ben:

In 2013, I made an epic journey through Asia to raise awareness of human trafficking. I was searching for 100 people I’d previously photographed across 10 countries, to learn their stories.

The journey was inspired by May, a friend who was kidnapped from her home in Sapa, Vietnam, in 2011. 

The most impossible part of the journey was also the part that meant the most to me personally: to find May herself. Nobody had seen or heard from May since she’d been taken two years earlier. 

Against all odds, I succeeded in finding May in a distant part of China in 2014. That was just the beginning of a long, dramatic journey to try to bring May home to her family in Vietnam. 

May’s story is now told in the award-winning feature documentary, ‘Sisters for Sale’ .

‘The Professional Hobo‘ has been supporting our work since the beginning. In 2013, I wrote a week-in-the-life of our epic search through the remote villages of Myanmar – check it out below!

Update June 2020: The Book is Out

Since its release a little over a year ago, the Sisters for Sale documentary has won awards around the world, and is now available as a two-part special in 12 countries via the Discovery channel.

To get Ben’s very important message to even more people, the first of a trilogy of books has just been released.

Every Stranger’s Eyes depicts the first four years of the epic all-consuming journey Ben went through to find his friends, and the ever-deepening spiral of reality he found himself in with each step.
You can read the first two chapters of the book here, for free.

Day One: Friday (Burmese Hospitality, Even From Police)

After trekking to a remote village in search of one young man, Moreno and I learned he’d moved to a small town a hundred kilometres away. We had no way of knowing, however, that the town was inside a heavily militarized area, where foreigners were treated with great suspicion.

Moreno and I decided to hitchhike there, having discovered the incredible hospitality of the Burmese people. The first two rides we caught quickly and easily but, just as we were clambering up on top of the truck which was to take us to our final destination, we were caught by a soldier who insisted we accompany him to the nearby police station.

The last thing Moreno and I wanted was trouble with the authorities. Our visas expired the day before, so we simply smiled, nodded and walked away. We didn’t get far, however, before we were chased down by the head of the local immigration office.

‘The Human, Earth Project’ and Sisters for Sale has given us a lot of experience in charming our way in and out of various bizarre situations, and we were eventually given permission to continue on to our destination. There was a catch, however: we were to be under police escort, and spend no more than two hours in the area.

And so Moreno and I found ourselves filming entirely without permission, under the suspicious and impatient eye of the local police. When our two hours had expired and we still had no clues as to the whereabouts of our subject, the police insisted on taking us to the bus stop, to ensure we left the area before nightfall.

Instead of the bus stop, however, they escorted us to the immigration office – and bought us drinks. (Did I mention the incredible hospitality of the Burmese people?)

We took a late bus, and it was two hours after dark when it stopped in the small village where we’d planned to spend the night. We had a local friend there who took us to the hut of the village chief, and his entire family woke up to prepare a wonderful meal for us before we fell asleep, wrapped in blankets on the floor.

Day Two: Saturday (Searching for 3 Boys who Disappeared)

Five years earlier, I’d photographed three people in a nearby minority village. Moreno and I had already been there – twice – and had found only one. We still had no clues as to who the other two might be: nobody in the village had recognized them at all.

We were expanding our search across the local area. We’d searched a total of four villages already, and now we returned to search three more. We were shown one boy who bore a very strong resemblance to one of the boys I’d photographed, but after much debate we decided he was not the boy we were searching for.

After exhausting all alternatives, and on the point of giving up, we decided to stop for a third time in the village where the photographs had been taken. After denying all knowledge of the boys on our previous visits, one of the boys was suddenly recognized – by everyone.

The directions we were given to find the boy, however, led us absolutely nowhere and locals who had promised their assistance did nothing to help us. It was almost dark by the time we found the boy’s hut – locked and empty.

Moreno and I waited there until after nightfall, but the boy did not return home. Having slept little the previous night, we arranged food and accommodation with a local family, and I turned in early. Moreno went back to the boy’s hut, found him there with his family, and explained that we would return at 7am to speak with the boy.

Day Three: Sunday (Stymied by Local Families)

Moreno and I reached the hut at 6.45am. The boy’s parents, who had welcomed Moreno the night before, were now cold, even hostile. The boy himself was gone, and we soon realized they’d deliberately sent him away.

With the parents against us, there was nothing more we could do. The second boy I’d photographed had never been recognized at all, so we finally scratched them both off our list and began the long walk back to the nearest road.

We hitched a ride into town with three local youths, who stopped partway for a round of whiskey in a local bar. It had been a disappointing couple of days, and Moreno and I were both feeling worn down. We had only one subject left to find in Myanmar: a grandmother named Daw Ae we’d been trying to find for almost two weeks.

We’d been to Daw Ae’s village, only to be told by her family that she’d moved into town. We’d then found her shack in town, only to be told that she’d gone to a city hundreds of kilometres away to attend the birth of another grandchild.

Moreno and I were preparing to leave for the city when we learned that Daw Ae was coming back early just to meet us: a stroke of luck, at last! We spoke to her grandson, and arranged a meeting for the next day.

Day Four: Monday (Grandmother Daw Ae)

The next morning, as we were leaving our guesthouse, Moreno and I saw a familiar face – a local man who called himself Dance. He’d acted as our guide and interpreter for five days of trekking, before parting under strange circumstances. We’d since been trying to contact him, but hadn’t seen him for over a week.

Dance was an oddly endearing little man who seemed to survive on a diet of whiskey. He loved ‘The Human, Earth Project”, and had been of immense assistance to us – when he was sober. Having no other plans, he was happy to come and help us interview Daw Ae.

Daw Ae was waiting for us at her shack, and never in my life have I been so completely and immediately charmed by another human being. Within the first moments of meeting her, Moreno and I agreed that Daw Ae was by far our favourite of the forty-six subjects we’d found over the past three months.

She hadn’t been able to eat all morning, she was so excited to meet us. She hugged us, took our hands, welcomed us into her home as if we were both long-lost sons. We spent five hours sitting on the floor of Daw Ae’s shack, while Dance interpreted her stories for us.

Daw Ae was a beautiful human being with a wonderfully warm smile, and a fascinating life story: the uneducated young wife of a drunken gambler, a mother of twelve children, a selfless survivor of dire poverty and back-breaking labour.

I returned again to her home that evening, to give Daw Ae copies of other photographs I’d taken in her village five years earlier. To thank Dance for all his help, we bought him lunch and dinner – a glass of whiskey, in both cases. Afterwards he took us to his home on the outskirts of town, to meet his elderly parents.

Day Five: Tuesday (Searching for Dance’s Padaung Aunt)

Having already overstayed our visas by several days, Moreno and I had planned to leave the country as soon as possible. However, the previous evening Dance mentioned something that sparked our curiosity.

Dance had an aunt from the Padaung minority – best known for the brass rings traditionally worn around their necks, wrists and ankles. She lived in a small town several hours away, quite close to a temple I’d been hoping to visit.

After having spent the past five weeks hard at work, Moreno and I decided to take a weekend. Dance gave us the contact details of his aunt, and told us how to get to the town. Every piece of information he gave us turned out to be wrong, and we never found the aunt.

The town was in an area that had, until six months earlier, been off-limits to foreigners. A local man estimated that no more than thirty foreigners had passed through. He took us to his home, gave us lunch, and we found ourselves conversing in Italian with a local priest who’d studied at the Vatican.

Our new friends arranged a meeting with another wonderful Padaung woman. Moreno and I spent the afternoon interviewing her, then rode on to the city with the temple I’d been hoping to see.

Over dinner, we befriended a group of local university students who presented us each with a ‘longyi’ (the traditional Burmese sarong worn by men and women alike) and insisted on giving us a tour of their city the next day.

Day Six: Wednesday (Touring With New Friends)

Moreno and I spent the morning with our new student friends, touring the temples of the city by motorbike. They were wonderful people, and it was a shame to leave so soon, but free time is a luxury we’ve been able to afford only in small doses.

Our entire journey is being made overland, by local forms of transport, and we were planning to leave Myanmar by the nearest border crossing at Tachilek. However, the road to the border passes through an unstable area which has long been closed to foreigners.

We’d heard conflicting rumours as to whether we’d be able to make it through to Tachilek or not. Our only other option was to leave Myanmar via Myawaddy, hundreds of kilometres to the south.

We caught two rides. The first was quick and comfortable, in the back of a brand new sports car. For the second we were cramped inside the cab of a logging truck, the biggest and slowest vehicle on the road, and the sun had long since set by the time we reach the main road east of the border.

We flagged down a local bus, and it was past midnight when we arrived in Taunggyi (the capital of Shan State) to begin the search for a bed.

Day Seven: Thursday (Leaving Myanmar)

It had been a long, relentless and highly successful month in Myanmar. Moreno and I had found and interviewed no less than thirty-six of the people I’d photographed five years earlier. We’d shot a lot of gorgeous footage, met some wonderful human beings, and had some amazing experiences.

Now all we had to do was reach the border, but it was not as easy as it seemed. We soon realized the road to Tachilek was still closed to foreigners, and it was being watched closely by the police and the military.

Moreno and I spent a frustrating morning trying to get through and failing, barely getting beyond Taunggyi itself.

Resigning ourselves to the long road back south, we tried to hitch a ride out of the city. A local man saw us, and circled around the block to come back and pick us up. Instead of driving us out of the city, however, he took us back into the centre, then stopped in the middle of the marketplace and left us sitting in the car.

After ten minutes of waiting, I was out of patience. I had no idea what the man was doing or why, but it wasn’t getting us anywhere. I took my bag and climbed out of the car, only to meet him coming back the other way.

In his hand, he had two bus tickets for us. He then drove us to the station and, despite our protests, insisted on buying us lunch.

The world is full of amazing people: all you have to do is get out there and meet them.

Sisters For Sale is Born

The next phase of ‘The Human, Earth Project’ took Moreno and Ben through Laos and Cambodia to Vietnam, to begin the search for May herself.

Again, I highly recommend you check out the final product from these many years of work, and watch Sisters for Sale. The story is gripping, insightful, and a culturally sensitive look at issues that go way deeper than what most westerners could comprehend.  

Don’t see/can’t play the Sisters For Sale trailer above? Click here to Watch directly on Vimeo. 

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Ben: The Human Earth Project and Sisters For Sale appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

Dane (“Cap”) and Makaela are a Canadian couple who decided to uproot their lives for awhile and sail the seas on their 41’ sailboat ‘Sea Otter.’ They love to explore the world by way of the sea, to learn something new every day, to savour the small things, and have fun throughout! Here’s a week-in-the-life of Mak & The Cap in the Exuma Islands of the Bahamas!

(Nora’s Note: Aah…memories; I sailed the Caribbean for 3 months a few years ago). 

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

DAY 1 – THURSDAY

6:07 AM – Hit snooze. Nice start to a week in the life!

6:17 AM – Crawl over Mak, brush the pearlies, put on my swim shorts. We have guests still zonked in the saloon, so as quietly as I can I get my french press prepped and put the water on. Next I slide the companion way open (which always squeaks a little), and enter the glory of an early morning at sea!

6:30 AM – I watch what’s left of this Black Point sunrise in Great Guana Cay, Bahamas, until the kettle goes off. Fill the bodom, let it steep, and then for a part of my day I always look so forward to – a dive into that aqua blue off the stern. Hands down one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had is starting the day with a refreshing ocean dip. I wade for a couple minutes, then towel off and pour a cup of joe.

7:00 AM – Crack my journal and spend a few minutes in gratitude of life, friends, the sea or whatever it is that gets me that morning.

7:20 AM – I pull out my morning read – usually a more philosophical, internal book. This week it’s Zen & The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance. I’m having a hard time getting into this one, hoping I can get more into it soon.

7:45 AM – The crew starts to stir. So the books hit the shelf and we spend the next while making brekkie, drinking more coffee, enjoying each others’ company, swimming, and planning the day (“To land or not to land?” That is the question.).

9:30 AM – It’s the last full day having our friends aboard so I opt out of working today. There’s six of us altogether… a packed boat! It’s forecast to be sunny and hot so we get ready to hit the beach at low tide and play in and among the little sand bars.

10:30 AM – All six of us cram in ‘Tire Head’ (our dinghy) and we’re slowly puttering off to the beach for a few hours of paddle-whackle, make-shift golf, football, Heinekens, and iced rum & gingers.

2:30 PM – Back to the boat to swim, relax, read, play dominos, whatever tickles your fancy.

5:30 PM – Everyone’s cleaned up, back in the skiff, and off to the island for dinner. We tie up and head to our favorite dinner spot, DeShamon’s Restaurant. Amazing food, amazing people. We crack a few beers, play some dice on the patio, eat a tremendous dinner.

8:00 PM – Pop over for a night cap at the local watering hole then back to Sea Otter for, yes you guessed it, another night cap or two. Don’t judge, it was our guests’ last night! Hehe.

DAY 2 – FRIDAY

6:17 AM – Up for the morning ritual: coffee, swim, journal, read. And this morning I’m already feeling a bit behind not having worked the previous day so I hotspot my phone and nerd out for a bit while everyone cracks eyelids.

9:00 AM – Sadly, we drop off our crew to cab to the airport. They were amazing guests and the best of friends, so it is a bummer to see them leave. Just Mak & The Cap time!

11:00 AM – We hit up Lorraine’s Cafe to snag the fast wifi, work for a while, then have some lunch next door at the school’s fundraiser luncheon – hotdogs with the kids!

4:00 PM – Back to Sea Otter for some long overdue cleaning. One of the many great things with living on a 41’ sailboat is that there’s only so much that can get dirty! We finish most of the work that day, have some dinner, pull out the cribbage board and start a best of seven playoffs for a sushi dinner. She whoops my ass (but no skunk!).

DAY 3 – SATURDAY

10:00 AM – We decide to sleep in, then lay around in bed for as long as we want. Mak whips up some coffee, we read, chat, do a few puzzles. First morning alone in over a month so we embrace it. Oh and then she makes me my favorite – pancakes! #spoiled.

11:00 AM – Hop in Tire Head and we’re off to Lorraine’s again for some work. Work there, have some lunch, work some more.

3:30 PM – Hit the grocery store (the ship didn’t come in so the store is completely barren of produce), then off to the boat with more water and whatever else we can scrounge up for dinner.

4:00 PM – Swim for a bit, scrape the hull a little, and enjoy the afternoon with a book in the hammock.

6:00 PM – Our nightly ritual begins. Dinner, vino, crib and the sunset. Life’s pretty good on the hook.

DAY 4 – SUNDAY

6:17 AM – Up and at ‘em! Morning ritual, work for a few hours.

10:00 AM – We’re on a mad search for a Bahamian visa extension. First stop is immigration at the airport, which we’ve been told might be able to give us an extension. No luck. We hit the phones and discover that we have two options: Georgetown or Staniel Cay.

12:00 PM – We cross-examine the charts, tide tables and weather countless times trying to decide if we can make it to Georgetown in time. Weather is looking good so we’re thinking South to Georgetown. Mix that with some work for the remainder of the afternoon.

6:00 PM – Tonight is spent looking more at where we’re going to sail to next, and then we slip into a movie and crash early.

DAY 5 – MONDAY

6:17 AM – Morning ritual, bit of work. Love it.

9:00 AM – We hit the island for some groceries since the boat came in last night. Do some laundry and hit Lorraine’s Cafe for a bit of work.

11:00 AM -We weigh anchor and we’re heading South to Little Farmers Cay, which has a nice cut over to the Exuma Sound side (deeper, bigger water) and will be our launch point to Georgetown. It also has that iconic underwater mermaid and piano we want to dive on!

12:00 PM – We’re about an hour out and I notice the alternator error light on. At this point, we’ve got a busted engine blower, a torn mizzen sail (most stern sail), our generator is out of commission, and now the alternator warning light is on. Mak and I start to think the universe is telling us it’s time to head in the other direction – toward home – a little earlier for hurricane season than planned. We listen, tack over, and we’re off to Staniel Cay.

12:45 PM – We’re about to turn in to the entrance to Staniel and WHAM! The main sheet block (which holds the line that holds the main boom in place) blows out! The boom is hanging way out off the port side of the boat and we quickly look at each other with a “Holy Sh*t!” We swing into action, pull the boom back in, strap her down around a winch, come up into the wind, drop the genoa (the foresail which was also out) and then drop the main. PHEW! That was exciting! And maybe some assurance that we’re now headed in the right direction.

1:45 PM – We motor into Staniel Cay, and drop anchor in the shallow bit right in front of the Yacht Club. We’ve been here a few times before, and just love it. They’ve got the swimming pigs, James Bond’s Thunderball Grotto, your quintessential island bar, and someone who can extend our visa! Gorgeous spot.

3:00 PM – We scoot over to land an inquire about the the visa. Bad information, we can’t get the extension here either. Bummer.

4:00 PM – Mak negotiates ourselves into some fresh Grouper and we head back to Sea Otter for the night.

6:00 PM – Pour a little wine, Mak makes an incredible dinner, we play some crib, watch the sunset, and bask in the beauty of the Bahamas!

DAY 6 – TUESDAY

6:17 AM – Morning ritual.

8:00 AM – We decide to spend one last day working, since we won’t have internet connection most of the time as we sail back to Florida. Hotspot at the boat a bit, then head into land for a bit. Life’s good when you’re here (with her), so what’s the rush:

4:00 PM – I chase a Remora around the keel as I scrape the boat.

6:00 PM – The rest of the night consists of – you guessed it – wine, crib, reading and the sunset. It’s a real pink one tonight, and we take in every moment of it.

DAY 7 – WEDNESDAY

6:17 AM – Morning ritual and sail prep. Always a bit of a rush on the longer sailing days since there’s a lot to get ready.

7:45 AM – We weigh anchor and head North towards Shroud Cay – which we haven’t been to yet and are jacked because there are mangroves which, at high tide, you can dinghy through all the way to the other side of the island and a secluded beach.

It’s a beautiful sail as we catch a broad reach under full main and genoa in 15-20 knots of wind. These days are full of constant sail trimming, chart plotting (I’m OCD with this), plenty of reading, and often times we even work out while we go. Today we covered it all.

3:30 PM – We float in to a nice anchorage at Shroud Cay, with only two other boats around. One of which is a young family who are surprised to see us and came over to say hi. Mak and I are a bit of an anomaly in the sailing world because you don’t often see people our age cruising, and it is the same for us seeing them! We are probably more intrigued because they have two young boys and that is something we plan on doing with our kids one day. So sweet!

6:00 PM – Pull out the guitar for a bit, make Mak’s ears bleed, have some dinner, go for a dip, and relax all night in the cockpit under the stars.

Dane & Mak just closed up Sea Otter for hurricane season and headed home to Winnipeg to spend the summer. They’re looking forward to seeing all their friends and family. They are back out to Florida in October, where they’ll set sail on a nine-month adventure through the Caribbean and end up in Trinidad for a lime or two with Mak’s family. They’ll be blogging the trip over at MakAndTheCap.com come the fall.

Big news on campus for this couple: they are the creators of a new app called “Journo: The World’s Most Sophisticated Journal App”, which is jam packed with goodies for fellow travellers. Check it out!

Photo Credits: Anders Homenick and Dawson Friesen

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Mak and The Cap appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

Angela and Chris Dowin have been full-time travelers since they sold all of their possessions last year and decided to book a one way flight to London. Their life at “home” was good, but they realized that there was a whole world out there to see. They get around from place to place with their camera and travel bags documenting the world along the way. Please enjoy this week-in-the-life of Angela and Chris, of Nomadic Lifestyle, in Scotland.

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Day 1

1:00am – We break up the last log in our fireplace as we wrap up what will turn out to be our second to last fire in our small beachside cottage. A fireplace is a rare luxury and since our plans involve warmer weather in the summer we’ll probably not have a fireplace for some time.

Chris and I arrived in the town of Nairn, Scotland a week ago and will say goodbye in a few days to head off hunting for the famous Loch Ness monster. Until then, we are content to explore this sleepy beach town, but realize that we need to sleep sometime so we can catch the morning light.

9:00am – We wake up feeling rested, but with a slight headache (maybe too much wine by the fire) and are excited to explore a little more of the town we have called home for the last week.

9:30am – Traveling isn’t without some monotony. We spend some time doing our chores before we head out. We load our clothes in the washing machine, empty the dishwasher, check our e-mails, and manage our Twitter followers. On the advice of Scott Eddy, we follow and unfollow users on Twitter every day to maintain a healthy fanbase. We try out best to do this every day without fail because there is a limit to how many people you can connect with every day.

10:00am – Clouds are starting to roll in and it looks like rain, so instead of going out we decide to stay in and work on some blog posts while waiting out the rain. During this time we map out some more of our European itinerary.

3:20pm – There is a break in the clouds so we head to The Tea Room downtown for some yummy Rooibos tea. We’re determined to experience afternoon tea while we’re here in the U.K.

3:45pm – The Tea Room is closed so we head to the nearest Co-Operative where we buy the fixings for tea and head back to the apartment to make our own.

5:00pm – The sun is shinning! We head to the beautiful beach here in Nairn for a stroll and to take some pictures.

8:00pm – We build our last fire in the fireplace we have here in Nairn since we leave here Tuesday.

3:00am – We head to bed after spending far too long reading by the fire.

Day 2

10:00am – We wake up far too late to experience the sunrise and Chris starts making our usual breakfast of eggs and bacon. I take the time to do Twitter, Nomadic Lifestyle work, check e-mails, and general tidying of the site.

12:00pm – It’s a beautiful day and we decide to go out for a walk and explore more of the town we’re calling home for the last full day. The sun is warm and the breeze is gentle so we head to the beach.

1:00pm – We reach the end of the beach after about a mile and a half walk. It’s high tide. We wanted to walk into the forest that borders the beach. We’re out of luck though because there’s a small “river” that splits the beach and forest. The water is too deep to cross without getting uncomfortably wet. We seriously consider crossing anyway, but decide that our shoes won’t be dry enough for traveling by tomorrow.

On the way back we collect shells at the request of a friend back in the states. We also keep our eyes open for some interesting looking pebbles for another friend in England. Sometimes the best gifts are free. It’s a great way to spend a calm afternoon.

2:00pm – We walk back into town and decide to visit the Tea Room for a pot of Rooibos tea. Success!

3:00pm – We have a late lunch back at the apartment and finish up our latest video on Nairn for YouTube. We have a great Internet connection here and we’re hard pressed to get out a video before we leave.

6:00pm – We head out again because we hate being cooped up inside. Photography is a lifestyle for us so we decide to get some sunset shots around the pier. As we walk to the pier we notice that the tide is extremely low. Chris and I look at each other. Without saying much we make a last minute direction change to the beach once again. We are so determined to explore a new area and want some adventure.

6:40pm – We reach the bridge tthat separates the forest and beach for the second time today and find that at low tide the river flows out to sea and is fed by the marsh. At high tide the river is fed by the ocean and flows into the marsh. We aren’t going to be turned away this time. Since the tide is so low we wander out into the soft sand until the river flow tapers off to only an inch or so deep. We walk across the “river” and back up the other bank.

We find a bridge that leads to a path into the forest. Without hesitation we charge into the forest and hike back towards the direction we came. We listen to the birds and take in the serenity of the area. There are no cars or noises of any kind around just birds and the ocean. We enjoy our adventure and wandering without a plan. I feel like I’m twelve years old again.

8:00pm – We arrive back at the apartment and it’s still plenty light outside. We’re far north in Scotland (the same latitude as Alaska and Moscow) so we aren’t worried about being stranded in the dark. We make our last dinner and pack up our belongings. Tomorrow is a travel day.

Day 3

8:00am – I wake up excited and bounce out of bed. Chris makes breakfast again and then we finish packing up a few loose ends. Our train won’t be for a few hours so I take some time again to manage our online presence.

1:00pm – We say goodbye to Nairn and wander over to the train station to catch the train to Inverness.

2:30pm – We meet a very drunk and excited Scotsman on the train. We only understand about 10% of what he is saying, but he’s really excited to be able to “blow off some steam” and get away from his family obligations even for a day or two. He has three kids and shows us plenty of pictures. The most we can do was nod and say “that’s great”.

3:00pm – We end up following a stranger to the bus station after he overheard us talking about the bus. He says “Bus to where?”. We reply “Fort Augustus, down by Loch Ness”. He says “Right, this way” and starts scampering off towards the turnstiles. He looks back once and says that we are going this way because there was some construction and the normal route is closed. There are plenty of other people heading our way so we just follow along and smile.

Before long we find the bus station filled with backpackers and locals alike. We spot the bus that will take us to the famous lake with the number 919 glowing at the display on top. We head into the station, buy our tickets, and buckle up for an hour ride along the water.

3:51pm – Precisely on time we arrive in Fort Augustus, Scotland at the bus stop in front of the gas station/grocery store. We walk the short five minutes to the abbey that will be our new home for the next four nights.

4:00pm – We get a little lost on the abbey grounds. Oddly enough we have been following directions given to us by our Airbnb host and they haven’t gotten us into the building. I am staring at a side door trying to punch in the code . After another minute a groundskeeper approaches us and asks if we need help. When we give the name of who we’re supposed to meet, the groundskeeper jovially walks us to the front area. We meet Charles who gives us a tour of The Highland Club and shows us around our room.

4:30pm – We hastily get into running clothes and book a time slot for the pool, sauna, and steam room for 5:00pm. We can’t wait to spend some time relaxing.

6:30pm – Neither of us are up for shopping or cooking so we walk into town to a restaurant called The Bothy. The host greets us and asks how our evening is going. We laugh to each other because evening sure is bright in the Highlands.

Day 4

12:00pm – We make some lunch in our room after an uneventful morning. We head out with the goal of playing some giant lawn chess. We end up getting lost in our own excitement around the grounds.

2:00pm – We want to book a boat cruise on the famous Loch Ness. We walk down the side path of the grounds that leads along the water. We find the boat tour office easily enough and book our slot for noon tomorrow.

4:00pm – We go for another run. We’re trying to stay fit while traveling and running is the most portable exercise. We run up a canal road with small shops and restaurants. The canal has some neat locks so we take a few pictures and keep moving.

5:00pm – We reward ourselves for going out for a run by visiting the pool and sauna. It’s one of the reasons we elected to stay in this old fort. It’s easy to get yourself out and moving when there’s a sauna to come back to.

Day 5

8:00am – I wake up with the sun shining in my eyes. I realize that it’s very bright for this time of day and wonder if I’ll get used to having the sun up all of the time. I look around, but our room isn’t equipped with drapes to block out the light. We both get out of bed and make our usual breakfast.

8:42am – We both head to the club lounge. We decide that we should get our Internet work out of the way early because the lounge is the only place with a connection to the web. This is also hurt by the fact that the connection is only a single DSL line and becomes slow when too many people are on at once.

11:00am – We finish our work in the lounge and thankfully no one was around so everything was smooth.

11:20am – After grabbing a few things from our room we run off to the docks for our Loch Ness cruise.

12:00pm – The Loch Ness cruise sets sail. We order two teas from the cafe onboard and take in the gorgeous sights from the water. There are tons of photo opportunities and we waste no time snapping away at everything. There’s a mountain in the distance just behind the old fort and it looks breathtaking.

12:30pm – We get a great presentation from the skipper of the boat on sonar and some of the history of the Loch. The lake was carved by glaciers and has some very dark waters. Divers have a hard time seeing, but we can get an idea of what everything looks like through sonar. There are even caves down in the water!

12:55pm – The cruise ends with no sightings of Nessie. The monster may have been a very large fish or some creature hiding in the deep. We may never know.

4:00pm – We go for a run, but decide to go further this time. We had passed an old wooden bridge on our first walk into town and decide to go down a path that will take us there. To our delight we find some very photogenic swans playing in the water just in front of the bridge. They come right up to the camera and we spend a few minutes recuperating for our run back.

5:00pm – Once again we make our way back to the pool, sauna, and steam room. We just can’t get enough of the luxury.

Day 6

7:30am – Our last day at the abbey has come too soon. After stretching our muscles Chris convinces me to go for an early morning run. This way we can spend some more time wandering around in the afternoon.

12:00pm – We eat lunch and head out for a game of chess in the cloister. It’s our last day so it’s do or die time. We set up our camera on the tripod and get the remote ready. We’ve never played life-sized chess and want to capture the moment.

5:00pm – Yes, we go to the pool, sauna, and steam room again.

6:30pm – We decide that dinner tonight should be at the onsite restaurant. We walk by it every time we go into town and the smells from the kitchen make our mouths water. The place is called The Boathouse Restaurant and serves up mediterranean cuisine. I am delighted as I look over the menu because I love lamb dishes. I end up ordering a lamb dish with pita and rice. Chris gets the same, but with chicken. We relax by our window seat and goof around taking pictures and videos of everything.

7:40pm – We get back to our room and start packing up our things for the second time this week. We watch one of the DvDs we found in our apartment, Gladiator.

8:40pm – We turn off the movie and go to bed. Tomorrow will be an early day.

Day 7

6:00am – My alarm goes off and I realize that it’s plenty light outside. I wonder if the sun ever goes down here. I tidy up a few things and pack my last few toiletries.

6:30am – The taxi arrives a few minutes early to take us from the fort to the airport. We would have taken a bus, but the service doesn’t run this early. I am pleasantly surprised that it’s a nice Jag with comfy leather seats. The driver takes us on a winding back route through the Highlands. As we watch the beautiful countryside fly by we notice deer grazing by the side of the road. And then we notice more deer. And more. Deer seem to be in abundant supply here and we smile at the sight of so many.

7:40am – We arrive at Inverness airport and search for breakfast. Chris is a little motion sick from the drive and food will help. Luckily the only open shop in the tiny airport serves a full breakfast with bacon, eggs, sausage, and my favorite black pudding. I happily eat, but realize that our time with this kind of food is almost over.

9:05am – Boarding is beginning and we are some of the first in line for our seats. As we attempt to get on the flight the attendant checks our bag size. We’re a little overstuffed and need to wait aside for our bags to be checked under the aircraft. Instead of nearly first on the flight we end up last as we work out our luggage situation. 
(Editor’s Note: see also – How to Travel Ultralight With Carry-On Luggage Only)

11:00am – We land in London Luton airport after a smooth flight. Our friends pick us up at the curb outside. I excitedly recount our journey over the last few weeks as we drive to their place.

11:20am – We notice fields of yellow flowers alongside the road as we drive. Chris takes out the camera and after a few seconds of setup begins snapping away. We decide that the national color of the U.K. must be yellow.

2:30pm – We pull up to the house in Lakenheath England. We unload our bags and are happy to take a breather from traveling.

3:00pm – Chris edits some pictures and I sort out some of our videos. We take any spare time we can get to keep up with all of our media or we quickly fall behind.

9:30pm – Our friend suggests that we have a fire in their chiminea in the backyard. We reminisce about old times and our recent journey to Scotland. We roast marshmallows and make s’mores before heading off to bed.

After having an exciting (and cold) winter exploring some of the major areas of Europe, Chris and Angela have decided to start chasing some warmer weather. After spending a month in Tuscany they plan to spend the summer along the coast of the Mediterranean. The trip will involve a visit to some of Angie’s relatives in southern Italy and an epic train ride through Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. Follow their adventures on their website Nomadic Lifestyle.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Angela and Chris of Nomadic Lifestyle, in Scotland appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Day 1 – Soline-Gruda

Anja was way too tired to come with me on the walk today. I was a bit disappointed because I had planned to run on small, calm roads the whole day, and I knew she would love the peaceful, car-less walk. However, her legs were cramping and she had very low energy, so I made the quick decision to leave her with Fabian and walk the route carrying my full backpack.

Fabian and I have a great system. We both have to work, so while Anja and I run, Fabian takes the short trip by bus or train with both of the backpacks. We almost always stay for two nights so we can both work for a full day. This also gives Anja time to rest, but after two weeks of running, she must have needed a longer break. I was going to miss her, but I was a bit jealous that she was taking the bus and I turned into a camel with my huge bag!

11:00 – I started the walk super late because we had to repack the bags. I didn’t mind, though. I can walk very quickly when I am alone. I started out on a busy road, and I didn’t have to worry much about the cars because the shoulder was big enough for just me. I made it to the next town and walked down to the center. I had seen a trail going from this town to the next, which would save me about five kilometers of highway. However, once I got to the end of town, I saw a huge rolling gate and an office next to it. The guard came out and told me I couldn’t walk through there, because it was an electricity office, or settlement, or community. Whatever it was, it was super private and no one was allowed through. I wanted to hike down the ocean and cross on the rocks, but I thought if they had an office here, they’d have an office on the other side. I walked back up out of town, mad about the wasted time and energy, but I was also glad that Anja was on the bus, because there was no sidewalk on the highway for the next seven kilometers.

13:00 – I made it to the small road and the next fifteen kilometers went by easily. The road was narrow but very quiet, and I passed four little villages. I loved walking through the countryside. I got to see the hills, the stray cats and dogs, the villagers coming in and out of their homes and gardens, and I knew that I was on a safe road going directly where I needed to be. I love that feeling. I missed Anja, but I also loved being alone.

15:00 – I arrived in Gruda and got a bit lost. The address to the apartment was “Gruda 153,” but I realized quickly that every street in the village was “Gruda.” I finally found Fabian and Anja walking on the main road and we went back together. I was exhausted from carrying the bag, so Anja and I hung out in the room while Fabian worked.

Day 2 – Resting

I worked on the magazine and washed my clothes in the bathroom sink. I hung them on the line outside and took Anja for a walk in the village. It was a beautiful day and I felt so at home, walking in the late spring weather with my dog, eating an Easter egg and knowing that if I wanted to stop walking and go home, it was only five minutes away. I love that feeling.

I went back to the apartments and sat in the garden, talking to the owner’s son. He was fourteen years old and spoke English wonderfully. I asked him where he learned and he said, “TV. I watch a lot of American shows.”

“Which ones are your favorites?”

“All of them.”

Day 3 – Gruda, Croatia–Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Border crossing day! Oh no! I had a pretty bad experience at the last border crossing. We had left Bosnia on a very small country road and were stopped at the border. The policeman told me it was for locals only, and no amount of pleading, reasoning, or bribing could get us across. I had to turn around and lose two hours of the day for nothing.

I planned on crossing into Montenegro on an equally small road. I did as much research as I could, and it seemed like an open border, but I was still taking a chance.

10:00 – We started out with a beautiful sunny day and 25 clean, low traffic kilometers ahead. We passed through little villages and enjoyed the quiet, well paved road. Once we started approaching the border, however, I became nervous. The run was much longer than I had anticipated. We were already 20kms in, so if we were turned away, we would have to run 40kms just to end up right where we started.

15:00 – I approached the border slowly and an officer came out. I said hello, and showed him our papers.

“Where are you going?”

“Herceg-Novi.”

“You come by foot?”

“Yes.”

“Where from?”

“Gruda.”

“On foot? That is far.” He gave me my passport back, lifted the gate, and let me pass. He let me pass! Yes! I thanked him and said goodbye, but when we were a few meters away, he called over, “When did you start out? This morning?”

“Yes, around ten.”

He looked at his watch and said, “You are fast!”

I laughed and thanked him again and kept walking, a lot faster, because I didn’t want him to change his mind!

We walked through Igalo and Herceg-Novi on a pedestrian path following the ocean, and met Fabian on the beach. I could see the mountains rising in the distance and I was happy to know after a few days of rest, Anja and I would be in them.

Days 4-6 – Resting

We spent the next few days resting, working, and exploring Herceg Novi. It was a really beautiful little city, with lots of character and friendly locals. We felt like we were back in a real city again.

I had to prepare and buy some supplies for the hike. We walked through all of Meljine, Herceg-Novi, and Igalo looking for a map. Almost all of the tourist agencies were closed and the infrequent few sports stores had neither a sleeping bag nor a map of the trails. Finally, we found a bookstore. I found a big, very detailed map as well a book about the trail. The book was in Serbian, but I couldn’t buy one without the other. I happily paid the ten euros, because I wanted that map.

I didn’t do much the day before we hiked. I was nervous, so Anja and I spent some time sitting quietly on the beach, looking at the water and trying to imagine the trail. We had dinner and watched a movie. We also had some beer and I ate an entire chocolate bunny in about two seconds because I was so nervous!

Day 7 – Herceg Novi-V. Celico

I was still nervous as I got the rest of my things together, and Fabian ran to the store to get tea candles for my tent. I fed Anja and I really envied her. She didn’t have to worry about the trail or the roads or where the water stations were or if it was cold at night. She just wore the leash and followed me around, hoping to see a lizard. I wished I could be more like her.

My backpack was packed and completely full, and just as I put it on, I realized I forgot the water. I filled my Osprey bladder and a second emergency bottle. I really wanted to leave that emergency bottle behind, but Fabian reminded me that it was probably the most important thing next to my tent and the Osprey bladder. So then my backpack was overflowing.

9:30 – On the road! I turned right at the roundabout and walked uphill on a busy road until it turned into a trail. That’s the whole plan!

I started seeing big, well printed signs with clear instructions on how to follow the trail. I was so relieved! We passed through a very small village with a few houses, a hotel, a cafe, and a church. People waved excitedly and said hello. This was very reassuring, because it meant they might see hikers often, which took away some of the mystery and seclusion of the trail.

But it was hot and sweaty, and I still hadn’t seen a water station. This area in Montenegro is desert-like, with tall, dry hills, very few rivers, and almost no lakes. This means no mosquitos, but it also means that I needed those water stations to be full. The well was very deep, and there was a small spout on the side that let the cold, clear mountain water rush out onto the path. The bucket was very rusty and it wasn’t until I pulled it back up that I realized there was a big hole in the bottom. I used the spout to fill my bottle. Running water is safer than still water!

See also: A Guide to Clean Drinking Water Around the World

15:00 – We got to a crossroads and took the path that claimed to be easier. The two trails led to the same place, but the one we were on said it had twelve easy switchbacks going gently up the hill. Complete lies! Those switchbacks were steep as hell and sharp! And completely made of rocks! Anja had a bit of trouble on the boulders, but she followed me up like a good little wolf. I was happy to see lots of wild flowers growing on the gentle hills in front of us.

16:30 – The flowers were gone. They were buried in snow, and soon, the whole forest was snow. Deep snow. Making me slip and sink. Filling my shoes. Soaking my socks. Driving Anja crazy because she loved snow! It was a mess. I had no intention of camping in the snow, so we hiked well past my hungry, tired, and cranky point. It was still quite early, but the forest was dark. I saw a sunny spot on a hill in the distance and decided to camp there. We were low on water, but I didn’t want to hike any further without stopping to eat and feed Anja. I knew by the time we did that, it would be too late in the evening to keep hiking.

The hill made for an absolutely beautiful campsite. There was a very wide, flat section covered in soft, dry grass. I set up but Anja was too nervous to get in the tent. I gave her some food and water and went in to clean up and eat. I had pretzel sticks and peanut butter and I tried luring Anja into the tent that way. It didn’t work; I just picked her up and brought her in.

I read by candlelight and Anja slept. When it was time to sleep, I wrapped the food in plastic and put it up in a tree. I looked at the stars until I was too cold and then we went in and cuddled up in the blankets, keeping each other as warm as we could, and trying not to think about how low our water supply was.

We lay there listening to the night noises. A bird barking first to the left of the tent, then above it, and then far away up a hill. An owl hooting and dogs in the villages, and then the food I wrapped in plastic and balanced on a branch fell out of the tree.

Kristyn and her dog Anja are currently resting in Turkey, and and plotting their route for the rest of this epic journey. You can follow along Kristyn’s adventures on Twitter @Trainlessmag.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Kristyn: Overland from Berlin to Taiwan appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Day 1: Tuesday

6:30am – Wake up with the sun at a B&B in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I could use some alone time, so I sneak out to the living room with a book, thinking of a comfy armchair that I saw there. My hosts are awake and promptly deluge me with friendliness and hospitality, “Would you like coffee? Hot or cold milk with that? Fruit? Toast? Eggs now or when your friend wakes up?”

8:00am – I’m traveling with a friend. She emerges and gets the same routine. A wonderful and very filling breakfast, but we’re both slightly overwhelmed.

10:00am – Our guide arrives to take us on a tour of the townships near Port Elizabeth. These are the areas that Black Africans had to move to under the Apartheid system. Nowadays, the Townships are vibrant and complex. There’s still extreme poverty there, but there’s also a growing middle class who choose to stay. Our guide is part of this Township middle class, so it’s a very informative tour, but we’re just scratching the surface in three hours, really.

1:30pm – We ask the guide to drop us off at an African art store in downtown Port Elizabeth, instead of back at our B&B. We’ve been traveling in Southern Africa about three weeks now and have some idea what sorts of things we like and what we’re willing to pay for them. We both get some great stuff.

4:30pm – It’s culture day! The same guide picks us up again to go meet with some storytellers in the Townships. We talk to a woman who was a maid during the Apartheid era about what that was like. Then we go to have dinner with a woman who was in the African National Congress (ANC) during the Apartheid era. She was jailed three times during the ‘70s and ‘80s because the South African police thought she might have information about what others in the resistance struggle were up to. “Poverty tourism” like this is kind of controversial – but we both end up feeling really glad we did it. We’re giving money to a Xhosa-owned business and we’re getting a more well-rounded view of both the past & present of this country than we’d have otherwise.

8:00pm – Our guide is surprised that his boss said we could pay with credit cards. We’re surprised that he can’t process them at this hour and wants cash. A brief moment of tension, but a stop at an ATM on the way home sorts everything out.

Day 2: Wednesday

8:30am – Go get a rental car bright and early, so we can drive to Addo Elephant National Park, about two hours east of Port Elizabeth. We’ve been nervous about driving on the left side of the road, but everything goes very smoothly.

10:30am – Drop our stuff at our backpackers in Addo town and head for the park. A completely amazing day for elephant sitings. We watch a whole herd take a mud-bath in the early afternoon, and then see the same herd washing off in a cleaner pond in the late afternoon. We also get to see the young males do some play-fighting a couple of times.

6:00pm – We had hoped to explore restaurant options in the town more, but it’s getting dark, we’re a bit worn out from hitting the road early, so we just eat at the place next to our hostel – which turns out to be a truly fantastic organic place where we have a really enjoyable chat with one of the owners.

7:45pm – Sort some stuff with our hostel owner. Our banks communicated poorly when I made the wire transfer to hold our reservation, but now that we’re talking face to face we figure it all out pretty quickly.
See also: Financial Planning for Travelers

Day 3: Thursday

8:20am – We go on a canoe trip on Sunday River, near the park. It’s a beautiful, lazy river and we really like our guide, Chen. A terrific half-day.

2:00pm – We transfer to a different guide for a braii (barbecue) and a game viewing drive in the park. Nice, but not quite as awesome as the morning paddle or our drive the day before. Those two things set the bar pretty high, though.

7pm – We liked that restaurant next door so much, we simply go back to it. This time a solo traveler has asked if he could join us. I will be traveling on my own soon, and need all the “kindness to solo travelers” karma I can get, so it falls mainly to me to try and draw him out. I do a so-so job of it, but the food is great!

Day 4: Friday (My 46^th birthday!)

4:30am – Time to hit the road! We have to return our rental car to Port Elizabeth bright and early, then go catch a hop-on, hop-off bus to our next destination: Knysna. I have the ability to make myself wide awake even without coffee when I really need to, so the drive goes fine.

6:30am – As we’re waiting for our backpacker bus, we chat with a woman who’s 68 and doing a round-the-world trip for the third time in her life. She has packed much lighter than either of us and we’re sort of in awe of her. Would love to chat more, but unfortunately she’s headed the other way.

12:45pm – Arrive in Knysna. The big treat I gave myself for my birthday is my very own room! My friend and I are both quite used to living alone, so I chose a cheap hostel and paid for two separate rooms for us. We enjoy spreading out our stuff and just kicking back for a bit, then grab a late lunch down at the waterfront. When we planned the trip, my friend was going to buy me a birthday dinner tonight, but she’s beginning to realize the 4am start to our day might kill that plan – she pays for lunch instead.

7:00pm – Sure enough, my friend is dead to the world… I’m still wide awake because of whatever I did to make myself awake for the drive in the morning. Someday I’ll have to learn how to undo that effect. I go on Facebook in search of some sympathy for my lonely birthday, and I get some, but only from the insomniacs. For most of my friends back home it’s the middle of the night. Also, you don’t get a whole lot of sympathy when you’re on vacation – not even on your birthday.

Day 5: Saturday

6:30am – The hostel offers some breakfast foods, but it’s tough to get a turn at the stove, or at the one indoor communal table, for that matter. I give up and retreat to my room with coffee. My lovely, solo room where I can kick back with coffee and a book, so it’s not half-bad really.

10am – We both had light breakfasts at the hostel, so down to the waterfront for a brunch. Knysna’s waterfront is attractive and pleasant, but there’s a “could be any upscale resort town anywhere” feeling to it. Still, good food and a nice seat by the canal puts us in a pretty good mood.

11am – A long, pretty walk along the waterfront to an underwhelming African art market. But actually I get one of my most-used items here: a little leather bookmark shaped & painted to look like a giraffe.

2pm – We go on a guided hike, using a guide the front desk recommends. It’s a truly stunning hike from an overlook down to a rocky coast, but the scramble back up to the overlook is very, very steep. We’re torn between happy and frustrated because the guide said he’d listen to what we wanted (flat or hilly) and he really didn’t listen at all.

7:30pm – We find a fancy-ish place to have my belated birthday dinner. It includes a brownie with ice cream & hazelnuts. I feel much better now.

Day 6: Sunday

5:30am – One of the front-desk staff (owners?) is on the couch just outside my room, watching sports on the telly and hacking out a lung (just a smoker’s cough he probably doesn’t even notice anymore) so I wake up.

7:30am – My friend and I have a nice breakfast at the waterfront, but also a minor quarrel. We’ve been traveling together a month by now and this was our only quarrel, so we’re doing pretty well.

11:45am – We still have separate rooms, so that gives us some time and space to cool off. We take one last stroll around Knysna and resolve the quarrel.

1:30pm – Catch the backpacker bus to Cape Town, which is where we started our trip a month ago, and where my friend’s flight back to her life will head out in a few days. It’s a 10 hour journey thanks to all the stops, but we pass the time with a Scrabble app and new-to-us snacks like chutney flavored corn puffs.

Day 7: Monday

9:30am – We catch a cab to Table Mountain, but decide not to take the cable car up it, after all. The line is too long. It’s Easter break, so a lot of Capetonians pour out of the city, but people from all over pour in.

10:00am – We find a hop-on, hop-off city tour bus that stops right where we are. The whole route only takes 20 minutes or so, so we decide to hop-on, see all the stops, and choose one or two that’ll be our activities for the day. We end up with a really nice stroll on Camps Bay Beach followed by some mid-afternoon cocktails.

6:30pm – On our way back to the hostel when my friend spots a huge carousel near the Victoria and Alfred waterfront and remarks that she loves carousels. We decide to hop off and do the carousel. This is not at all like the carousels of our youth: it feels too safe, too high-tech, they’re stopping and starting it to let other people on too much. We have a great time making fun of it and then go home.

8:00pm – Trying and trying to pay my credit card bill online, but the internet just keeps timing out on the site I need. (This problem would not be resolved until about a week later…)

At the writing of this post, Tiva was staying at an off-grid lodge in South Africa with little web connectivity, which makes it hard to plan your next travel move! But she has her sights set on either Ireland or Iceland. Find out the latest on her blog Tiva’s Travel Tales.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Tiva in South Africa appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

(See also: Earning Income Abroad by Teaching English)

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

Day 1 – Monday

9:00 AM– To my amazement, I’m out of bed before 11am. I live in a dormitory-style building with around fifteen other foreign teachers, so I stumble out of my room and groggily mumble a few hellos to the others who are already awake.

9:50 AM – I get some breakfast, which for today is some dan bing from a local food stall down the street. I’ve learned just enough Chinese to order it without embarrassing myself.

10:30 AM – While most teachers do their lesson plans the day of class, I like to get an entire week’s done in one fell swoop, freeing myself up to do more activities later on.

4:40 PM – Class time. I hop on my scooter and drive to one of the schools at which I teach. Each of my two classes tonight is two hours with a ten-minute break in the middle.

9:10 PM – Finished for the night, most of the foreign teachers head out to get some hot pot. With around twelve of us each riding our scooters, we look like the least intimidating motorcycle gang that’s ever existed. A massive, all-you-can eat buffet complete with drinks costs us around $10 each.

Day 2 – Tuesday

9:00 AM – There’s only one class to teach today, and it’s at 7:15 PM, so that means it’s time to explore! I gather my daypack and zip away on my scooter.

10:30 AM – After driving through some picturesque mountains, I arrive in the Sansia District. It’s famous for containing one of Taiwan’s most intricate temples, so I park my scooter somewhere safe and leisurely make my way in that general direction.

12:00 PM – The temple does not disappoint. After taking a few photographs with locals who are excited to see a foreigner in their midst, I have some of the regions specialty, “horn bread”. This is essentially a croissant in the shape of bullhorns, and it tastes pretty good!

10:00 PM – It’s trivia night at one of the neighborhood bars. Everyone puts in 100NT (~$3) and winner takes all. Our team does well, but falters in the speed round. I now know that Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, not 1958.

Day 3 – Wednesday

11:00 AM – After a late night, I roll out of bed a little later than usual. With buxibans, or cram schools, all of your classes are in the afternoon, since students come when they are finished with their regular school day (this can make for some thoroughly unmotivated students sometimes).

1:30 PM– After narrowly dodging multiple vehicles and pedestrians on the way to school (to say that Taiwan traffic is insane would be a major understatement), it’s time for the first class of the day. These kids are younger, and while they’re a handful sometimes, their energy is infectious.

3:30 PM– I head back and edit the photos from the previous day. I try and formulate some writing pitches to send out to blogs and magazines.

7:00 PM – Class number two. One kid laughs so hard that he throws himself backwards and demolishes the wooden chair he’s sitting in. This results in about two minutes of uncontrollable laughter from everyone, including the chair-breaker himself.

10:00 PM – After some more writing, a few teachers and I head to the top of our building for some drinks. We’ve got a pretty nice view of the city from the rooftop, and it’s a good place to relax and unwind.

Day 4 – Thursday

10:00 AM – I shave my beard for the first time in eight years. I promised one of my lazier classes that, if they all did their homework, I would shave it off. Little did I know how eagerly they wanted to see me without facial hair!

10:30 AM – Freshly groomed, I head off to a nearby park and do some reading. I pet entirely too many dogs and have an adorable interaction with two little kids who try to talk to me in Chinese.

7:10 PM – My class loves the new look, and it gives them a good laugh. One of the girls gives me a handwritten note afterwards thanking me for doing it.

Day 5 – Friday

9:30 AM – I head off to Taipei for a little day trip. I meet up with some Taiwanese friends I got to know during the New Year.

11:00 AM – We go to the National Palace Museum, a massive museum that originally housed the old leader Chiang Kai-shek’s personal collection of artworks from China. Pottery and scrolls galore! There is a twenty-minute wait to see a piece of Jadeite shaped like a cabbage.

5:30 PM – My kindergarten class is both exhausting and rewarding in equal measure. You can’t rest for a single second while teaching English, but the kids absolutely love you. During break, I teach them how to fist bump and play thumb war.

Day 6 – Saturday

8:00 AM – Working in a buxiban, Saturdays are typically the busiest day for a teacher. Since students don’t have regular school, this is the most common day that they will attend cram school. Unfortunately, this results in a six-day workweek for us foreign teachers.

10:00 AM – My first class is in the same building in which I live. We live on the fifth floor, and classrooms occupy the first three floors. The commute to work consists of two flights of stairs, i.e. approximately 30 seconds. This alleviates the pain somewhat.

3:30 PM – As soon as the bell rings for my last class, I fly out the door to meet a friend. Although she is from Namibia, she has been here for over ten years and speaks Mandarin fluently. Along with several other teachers, we have planned a weekend camping trip in Fuxing, a rural district nearby known for its mountains and hiking trails.

4:00 PM – We all cram into our friend’s car and head out. It’s much more convenient than buses or trains, although slightly harrowing in mid-day traffic.

6:00 PM – After a stunning drive, we arrive at the campsite in the middle of nowhere, past several aboriginal villages and off a dirt path. We are the first foreigners to have ever camped there.

7:30 PM – While we’re setting up, a mob of around fifteen small children rush to our campsite and excitedly inquire what we’re doing there. Over the next half hour they continually bring us free food from their campsite and eventually invite us over. We’re treated to several dancing demonstrations from the children, and free drinks from their parents as well as neon light sticks.

8:30 PM – All of us write our wishes on a giant paper lantern, light it, and send it off into the sky. It seems to fly with no problems, which signifies that our wishes on it will come true.

9:00 PM – We spend the rest of the evening sitting around the fire, drinking and staring up at the sky.

Day 7 – Sunday

11:00 AM – We pack up, say goodbye to the Taiwanese families, and head to a nearby attraction; a glass walking platform that’s next to a massive waterfall.

12:00 PM – The platform is both terrifying and enjoyable in equal measure. People don’t appreciate it when one of the teachers jumps up and down at the end of the platform.

1:30 PM – We wander around the area, dipping into small hiking trails and trying some Buddhist ice cream from a roadside vendor. We also stop by a mountainside coffee shop, complete with several cats lazing about in the sun.

4:30 PM – Our stomachs full, we pile back in the car and start to head back, the sun setting behind us. For a moment I start to think of next week’s lesson plans, but soon forget about it when I see a temple off in the distance.

When his contract is finished, Matt is planning on putting that money to good use by enjoying a year-long working holiday down under in Australia. In the meantime, you can follow his adventures and thoughts at A Boundless Environment.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Matt, Teaching English in Taiwan appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Day 1

Today we’re leaving Minori, the fishing village on the Amalfi Coast where we’ve spent the last 10 days. It rained for eight of those, so we’re happy to at least have a little bit of sunshine for the beautiful (but terrifying) bus ride along the cliffs and out of town. We go to an ATM (bankomat in Italy) and it won’t let me take out cash on my debit card. Hmm, this same machine worked a week ago. I take out a cash advance on my credit card, and the first conclusion I draw is that my debit card has been de-magnetized. This should make for an interesting few days, considering almost everything we have done in Italy so far has been cash only.

Read about the do’s and don’ts of using ATMs in my Travel Money Guide

8:00 am We wander over to the bus stop. There’s only one road through town, and lucky for us the stop is right across the street from the apartment we’ve been staying in. Our bus is late, which makes me nervous – I don’t want to miss our train into Duomo Florence.

9:00 am Bus arrives and we get on after stashing our luggage below; it’s getting to tourist season now and it’s standing room only. We guard our pockets and backpacks, as the last time we took this bus, Ben was pick-pocketed and we lost his ID, along with debit and credit cards. He only had €15 cash and the passports luckily were elsewhere, so nothing serious came of the theft. But it was still a hassle and made us feel pretty vulnerable.

(Editor’s note: I understand! I had my purse stolen in Cusco, and it was no fun).

10:00 am Finally we arrive at the train station in Salerno and Ben goes to buy our tickets while I wait with our luggage. Approached by a few people with various questions, I am wary of pickpockets now and am on alert. I also know very little Italian, so answer with as few words as possible.

11:00 am We board our train, and I plan to sleep on the way – it’s a four hour ride. But our fellow passengers are all talking and besides the noise, they’re rather entertaining. Italian is such a lyrical language, and even a mundane conversation can sound beautiful. The view out the train window is just too good to sleep through.

3:00 pm Arrive in Florence and get lost on our way to meet our host Francesco in the Oltrarno neighbourhood. Dragging our carry-on roller luggage across the cobbled streets, through puddles and around dog shit, we curse ourselves for being too cheap to invest in backpacking gear. We arrive a half-hour late, but Francesco doesn’t complain. He shows us the studio apartment and tells us where to get WiFi (in the nearest piazza, Santo Spirito) and where the good, non-touristy, restaurants are. We thank him and take a quick nap before cleaning ourselves up for dinner.

7:30 pm We find a trattoria with a prix fixe menu, cheap Chianti and good TripAdvisor reviews so we head inside for some traditional Tuscan fare. Italian dinners are usually comprised of a primi (first course, pasta), secondi (second course, meat) and finish with an espresso. I’m vegetarian so I order two primi (Tuscan vegetable stew and gnocchi with salad), and the server doesn’t seem to mind – he understands when I say only “io sono vegetariana – due primi por favore?”

9:30 pm We take the laptop into the piazza and watch the cafes fill with people drinking wine and eating; we Skype my mom, who I haven’t talked to in a couple of weeks, on the free city WiFi. After half an hour the connection times out and we’re cut off mid-sentence.

10:30 pm We head back to the apartment and set up the pull-out couch. I fall asleep immediately but Ben is up most of the night pacing back and forth and shivering from the cold symptoms he has and the sunburn he got on his back a few days ago in Minori; I find this both terrifying and funny (I have never seen anyone have a reaction like this to a sunburn). I make him take an Advil and it seems to help a bit.

Day 2

7:00 am We wake to the sound of birds on the window sill. After showering and getting dressed, we wander to a nearby bar for cafe y cornato, then head towards the train station to buy our bus tickets to Avignon, Provence for later in the week.

10:00 am After getting lost again, we finally find the ticketing booth, where we learn that the €200 fare is cash-only. After trying cash advance at a couple bankomats, it looks like there’s something wrong with my credit card now.

12 noon I call my Canadian bank from a crappy payphone in Piazza Santo Spirito, next to a busy cafe. The phone won’t dial a collect call and I have to use my other credit card to pay ($300 CAD that I will later contest and not be reimbursed for). Turns out my travel note on the cards expired. After almost 45 min on the phone, and my father-in-law back in Canada going in person to our bank branch, the travel note is re-issued, credit limit upped, and I can again take out cash advances.

2:00 pm We finally go back and get our bus tickets but the attendant spells our last name wrong. When we show her, she shrugs and crosses out the spelling error and corrects in pen. I hope they still let us on the bus with tickets that don’t match our passports. It’s an international trip but since we aren’t leaving the EU I doubt it will be an issue.

We spend the afternoon sightseeing. Today we see the outside of the duomo, the ponte vecchio, find a gorgeous rose garden on the hillside just outside the city walls, and an outdoor replica of David, which stands in a parking lot.

5:00 pm We take a nap, knowing that we want to go out and walk the city at night.

7:00 pm We head back out and have some gelato at a famous shop on the river. It’s expensive but worth it. We walk around and look at the sights at night; the city seems like a completely different place in the dark. We contemplate going to see a movie (I’ve wanted to see The Grand Budapest Hotel for a while) but decide to save our money and go when we’re back in Canada in July.

Day 3

8:00 am Today we decide to go see the inside of the Duomo. We meet a mother and daughter from London (where we visited five weeks ago) while we wait in line and trade travel stories, and laugh about the mayor in our hometown, Rob Ford, who has been making international headlines lately for his erratic behaviour. They take a photo of the two of us together, one of few that we will have taken all summer.

1:00 pm We wander around near the duomo for a while and try to decide which museums we will see in Florence; there are so many and it’s difficult to choose. After a while we wind up sitting on the fountain in the Piazza Santo Spirito again, this time with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

8:00 pm We watch the sun set over the Arno from a bridge; the city looks like a romantic movie set in this golden light. We walk around town for a few more hours, and a man approaches us selling single roses. We say no, grazie but he insists, and we say no again. Street vendors are everywhere in Europe and they approach us every day; it’s starting to get really annoying.

Day 4

Today we take a day trip to Fiesole, a small town on the outskirts of the city with amazing views over Florence. It’s a short bus ride but feels like a different world, and we wander up the steep streets, through a monastery, and spend some time just looking out over the valley below. We don’t look at our watches all day.

Day 5

10:00 am Today we go to the Bargello, the national museum in Florence (even this is cash only), and look at too many famous sculptures to name. Ben sneaks a selfie with Michelangelo’s David-Apollo.

2:30 pm We wander into a prosciutteria and order wine and plates; for a meat shop, they make a decent veggie plate. Between our limited Italian and the workers’ broken English, we’re able to have a couple laughs.

4:30 pm After lunch we head back to the rose garden and nap in the sun for a bit. I think this is my favourite place in Florence.

Day 6

9:00 am Today is our last full day in Italy, and we finally go in to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito church to see the crucifix made by a 17-year old Michelangelo as a thank you for letting him learn about anatomy on cadavers.

11:30 am We head to the mercato centrale, where Ben tries his coveted lampredatto and I drink some fresh juice from a vegan shop, which I wasn’t expecting to find.

1:00 pm I purchase some new leggings from H&M to replace my old ones which are falling apart (and frankly getting too tight, I guess from all the pasta and gelato). We walk around and relax for the rest of the day, and wind up drinking in the Piazza Santo Spirito again.

12:00 am I’m starting to feel homesick; it’s almost two months that we’ve been traveling. Maybe it’s the stress of dealing with the wallet theft and my card issues but I cry for a good hour before I’m able to fall asleep.

Day 7

9:00 am We find an American bakeshop and cafe, which likely exists thanks to the many young American women who study art history in Florence. Since I’ve been feeling homesick we decide to have drip coffee (really difficult to find in Italy) and bagel sandwiches, followed by mini cupcakes. I spend some time uploading photos to the laptop and backing them up on a external hard drive.

1:00 pm We hike up into the hills, past our rose garden, to San Miniato al Monte, one of the oldest churches in Florence and enjoy the cool interior as an escape from the hot sun. We sit outside for a while and enjoy the view.

7:00 pm Time to pack and walk to the train station where we will catch our bus to France.

10:00 pm The bus is an hour late and there is much confusion and anger; a man swears at me in Italian when I get on the bus before him (we were the first ones at the stop, so I’m unsure of the exact basis for his anger toward me). The only two seats left together are in the back row and do not recline; we sit behind a mother and her baby, both of their seats reclined all the way back so that they are basically sleeping on our laps. The mother snores for most of the night and the baby wakes periodically, hungry or with a dirty diaper, which the mother changes on the seat. The man beside Ben sleeps on his shoulder.

We doze off now and then but are awake for most of the trip, nearly 12 hours in total. It’s bittersweet to be leaving Italy; both maddening and wonderful at the same time.

Ben and Marissa are spending some time with family in Canada, while they decompress from the travel grind and decide on their next steps. Marissa is working towards a location-independent career and their next destination might be New Orleans. Check out their adventures at Ben and Marissa Do.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Ben and Marissa in Italy appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

Day 1 – Arrival in Cusco, Peru

I wake up and immediately realize I am late to pick up my friends at the airport. (Dani from Denmark talked me into going dancing and drinking with his friends he met on the Inca Trail…oops stayed out a bit too late). Throw on some clothes, run out the door and grab the first cab.

I arrive at the airport and see my group of friends. We hug and hop a taxi back to central Cusco.

We arrive at the bed and breakfast with our nice host Maria and everyone immediately decides they want to rest for a bit due to the elevation (11,000 ft.) and flying for the past 12 hours. Good idea…I need it!

After naps and lunch, we all meet in the B&B lobby and share some coca tea again. Coca tea is known to help adapt to the elevation. We head out and take a tour of the cathedrals on the Plaza de Armas. One of the cathedrals has ancient Inca tunnels that run below it…..Dani, Chad and I look at each other…discuss it…and then realize that there might be consequences for sneaking into the tunnels….mission aborted.

For dinner we have a nice placed reserved that is famous for Guinea Pig. We decide we have to try it. There is a traditional band playing in the restaurant with the lead singer rockin’ a Peruvian flute. The waiter brings us out a plate with a Guinea Pig on top. I have to say the Guinea Pig looks a bit horrific. It almost looks like it was fried alive, however, it tastes quite good.

For the previous three months we had all worked together on a goal to raise enough money to build a sustainable farm for malnourished children in the village of Rumira, Peru. Malnourishment is one of the biggest problems in Peru effecting 900,000 children.

I had visited a village called Tastayoc three months prior. It was miles and miles into the mountains. Tastayoc was a place with breath taking beauty, no electricity, or running water and a place that had a one room school of 15 children.

I went to this village with Carlos Gibaja. Carlos’ family runs a charity that feeds children all around the Sacred Valley of Peru. He wanted to show me a project he had been working on.

In this village there were three small green houses. At this elevation (13,500 ft.) the weather is too cold for most crops to grow outside, so the people of the village built these greenhouses for the school. The children get to use the greenhouses everyday as a classroom to learn how to grow many different types of vegetables. With the food that they grow, they get to eat a free nutritious lunch everyday. This saves the families a lot of money and worry, and also helps the children immensely.

When this project started, the children were very sluggish at school, they had no energy in the classroom and they didn’t even want to play at recess. After a few months they began to like to food and eat it everyday. One year after the children started their new diet, they were energetic at school, enjoyed class and even become the best soccer team in the area because they had so much energy.

Carlos wanted to duplicate this project in a village of 60 children. He had the land to do this, but he had a couple of problems. The land was on the side of a steep mountain and needed an aqua duct to run from the glacier at the top of the mountain to the farm. This would cost around $10,000 USD to terrace the land and build an aqua duct. After discussing the details I was sold. It was a completely sustainable idea that would last for generations. It just needed an initial push to get things going.

This is where we came in. We set a three month goal to raise the money for this farm. We were going to raise the money online, and then at the end of the three months travel to the village and help build the farm.

Back to the Evening of Day 1…

After dinner we all meet on the steps of the main cathedral. We had worked hard putting this project together. I thank them for coming, congratulate them on all their hard work and update the group as we are surrounded by tourists and locals going about their way in beautiful Cusco. We had raised $4,000 at this point and were only at 40% of our $10,000 goal and still had some work and fun ahead of us.

Day 2 – First Day of Work

We make it to the village about 1pm and begin working immediately after the villagers feed us. (Hospitality is abundant in this part of the world.) We enjoy lunch in a mud-brick home and the kitchen is complete with a wood table, dirt floor and a wood burning clay stove. We are fed some soup, and we toast our new friends.

Finally, at 2:30pm we get to work.

(Carlos actually asked us to work for one day to help build a house for a woman in the village. She had seven children and one on the way. She was recently abandoned by her alcoholic husband and the charity was helping her our from time to time. We politely obliged.)

We hustle, moving rocks, and dirt, hauling bricks, and fetching water from the river. We work for about 2.5 hours and the villagers say it is time for beer and chicha (a local Peruvian homemade beer). Man, do we ever want to keep working, but at this point, we have to be polite guests and stop….so we do, and enjoy a nice dinner.

At 7pm we arrive at our hotel on the edge of town. We are all ready for a good night’s rest.

Day 3 – First Day on the Farm

We wake up with some ambition. Ready to change the lives of these children and get to work. Today is going to be our first day meeting the children of the school.

We meet Carlos in the main plaza and Carlos says we are going to go to the market first to buy food for the school. “What?” I think to myself, this was not in our itinerary….in Peru they like to change plans…A LOT….many times without informing others of the change. This completely messes with our western mentality, but is a good lesson in patience.

We pile into a small van and head to the market. When we arrive I realize Carlos made a great decision bringing us here. I think to myself…. “The group will like this place”. The market is complete chaos, but within all the chaos is a system of people selling and haggling food to anyone and everyone. Indeed, you need to be on your toes to catch what was happening.

It takes about 45 minutes to gather and purchase all the food. We then meet back at the van and head towards the school.

We arrive at the school around 10:30am and meet the children. They are ecstatic when we arrive and are jumping around like little rabbits. They sing us songs, we give them presents and the food, and we are all very happy.

Next, is a feat that we didn’t expect. According to my itinerary we are supposed to have a van or truck take us halfway up the mountain to begin work on the farm. Well, somewhere in miscommunication that idea got thrown out the window and Carlos decided to give us two horses to ride. For the rest of us, we have to hike up the mountain. This is fine, except for my 62 year old mother who thinks it is ludicrous.

We start walking up the mountain, and after a few hundred meters, a man comes with the horse for my mom. He helps her up and then the horse begins to trot up the mountain on its own. No guide, no control, nothing. My heart sinks, because I know the trail up the mountain isn’t really safe, and there are steep ledges all along the way. I immediately run to keep up with the horse because I fear for my mother’s safety. But, the more I run, the faster the horse runs because it is scared of me! Finally, I have nothing left in me after running hundreds of yards uphill at 9,000 ft elevation and just let the horse and my mother go. I send a few prayers at that moment hoping for her safe journey.

I should have known that the horse just wanted to catch up with her mate. This is what Carlos tells me, when I finally arrive at the farm. (Duh…sounds so obvious.) Thankfully, my mother is safe and I have to say, right then, I am a little pissed at Carlos and his change of plans!

Carlos tries to console me with some Peruvian Mountain Moonshine…and I politely decline and say, “Let’s just get to work.”

Finally we make it to the farm a day and a half late (due to changing schedules) and we start working.

We work hard homesteading the land. We are digging up and moving rocks. We clear bushes, and move dirt like no other. We are having a great time with the villagers, even though both us and the villagers speak very little Spanish. Their native tongue is Quechua, or a rural version of it. Ours of course being English…many different versions of it.

After a good full day of hard work, we have a celebratory drink (Peruvian Mountain Moonshine….don’t ask me the real name)… and the locals bless the farm offering a drink to Pachamamma…aka Mother Earth.

At the end of the day we are all wrecked. We have moved dozens of massive rocks, chased a crazy horse up a mountain, played with kids and haggled with the vendors at the market….what a day!!!

At 7pm go to the hotel and pass out.

Day 4 – Last Day on the Farm

We awake anew and fresh. My mother informs me she will not be going up the mountain today, she wants to shop around the village. I agree it’s a good idea. Really she fears the horse ride up, and so do I.

We have a big breakfast, and an early start up the mountain. I think we are there by 9:30ish.

We start constructing the first terrace wall. We see how the natives level the ground and build the walls. It’s quite educational, because construction techniques there haven’t changed in a few hundred years.

We bond really well with the villagers today and even give them some nicknames. I think the Peruvian moonshine may have helped.

This is to be our last day on the farm, due to some more changes of plans. The next day we decide to visit Tastayoc, the village with the greenhouses. There is one greenhouse that needs some repair, and the group all wants to see how this whole project got started. Nonetheless, we are all happy with our progress on the farm and our time there. We really enjoyed it.

Day 5 – Tastayoc

At 8am we hop in a van and head for Tastayoc about 1.5 hours up the mountain. Of course the Peruvians have a case of beer in the van…they alway have beer. It is for lunch of course.

We arrive in Tastayoc and are greeted by some more smiling children.

We begin work with a lot of ambition. We knock out all the work we need to do in about half an hour. So we decide to round up the children and play a game of soccer.

At 11:30am the villagers here had smoked us some meat under a pile of dirt. They put the meat in foil, put the foil on hot coals, and then put dirt on top of both. This keeps the heat underground and cooks the meat.

The Peruvians have started drinking already, so we join the fun and the kids sing us some traditional songs.

Lunch is delicious and amazing. The kids, again jumping and screaming like rabbits. They are loaded with energy thanks to those greenhouses.

After a day of joy, and a bit of rest, we head back down the mountain to our hotel.

At 7pm we meet for a final dinner and goodbye. It is a great dinner with some traditional Peruvian food.

Then, Carlos invites us to his girlfriend’s birthday party. We stay out way too late…again!

Day 6 – Almost Missed the Train

At 10am we were to meet at the train station in Ollantaytambo, take the train to Aguas Calientes, and then take a day of rest enjoying the hot springs before we head up the death-defying zigzagged road to Machu Picchu. We are all on time for the train and Dani from Denmark realizes he forgot his passport. He begins an immediate sprint back to the hotel…all uphill, and all hungover from the birthday party. He arrives about 15 minutes later in a mototaxi and sweat dripping from his body head to toe. He is present, but the look on his face is more like death. Luckily he arrives just a few minutes before the train leaves.

Day 7 – Machu Picchu

Arrival at Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is amazing (editor’s note: I agree!) and this trip has been a memory to last a lifetime. There is something to be said about the Sacred Valley of Peru, it is without a doubt a magical place and I recommend it to anyone.

The One Effect project ended up raising $10,000. We raised 60% of the money in the week we were in Peru. Today that farm is about two years old and is producing food on a daily basis. It has grown to 10,000 sq. meters and is complete with a greenhouse and a few local gardeners to help.

Each year The One Effect is exploring a new country and finding a new project to help make a difference in the world. The next project/adventure for The One Effect is to build teams and participate in The Rickshaw Run. It is a 15 day intense adventure across India in a motorized rickshaw for charity. Follow along at TheOneEffect.com or at their Facebook page.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Chris Reynolds – The One Effect, in Peru appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Day 1 – Thursday

9:00 AM – We’re riding along the Golden Circle in Iceland (otherwise known as the Ring Road in Iceland). In the driver’s seat is Fabrice, a French Canadian I met at a couchsurf meet-up in Reykjavik the night before. Sitting in the back is Carolina, another couchsurfer who is from Northern Sweden. We all decided to road trip the Ring Road in Iceland (the circumference of Iceland) together. Currently, we’re entering Þingvellir National Park. Ahead of us is Lake Þingvallavatn with hundreds of cairns stretching across the area. We stop to run and play in between them.

3:00 PM –Walking up to Geysir, Icelandic for “gusher,” a roaring explosion of water shoots into the air and falls back to the ground. We stay here for a while watching it explode and cheering every time.

7:00 PM – We arrive at the map marker for our hostel east of Hvolsvöllur, but it’s the wrong address. The woman at the hostel tells me over the phone to “keep going down the side road until it ends.” As we continue, the road turns to gravel, farmland stretches out from the car on both sides. Glaciers are in the distance and in the foreground are cliffs dotted with waterfall after waterfall.

8:00 PM – After a bumpy, dusty ride, we arrive as the sun is setting. An elderly woman directs us up the hill to a rustic house with a traditional turf roof. We have the entire hostel to ourselves. This place is just too far off the beaten path for most people.

9:00 PM – We eat what’s left of our snacks for dinner (there are no stores or restaurants around!) and settle into our bunk beds for the night.

Day 2 – Friday

7:00 AM –The hostel has an outdoor shower with a bucket on top you must fill with water brought from inside the house. The hot water from the sink inside rains down like a waterfall on my head. This is the first of many waterfalls on the schedule for the day.

8:00 AM – I turn off the road to check out Gloggafoss, a waterfall near a sheep farm just 200m from the hostel. Carolina decides to bathe in another waterfall that’s just 50m away, Fabrice wanders up a path next to Gloggafoss, and I “Baaaahh!!!” at some of the sheep up on the hill. They graze and take draughts from the falls, humoring me with a few “Baaaah’s” back.

9:00 AM – Following the Ring Road, we make it to Seljalandsfoss—a waterfall you can walk 360 degrees around. We get sprayed from the wind as we walk behind it.

10:00 AM – We arrive at the perfect time of day to see not one but two rainbows at Skógafoss. Double rainbow—whoa!

12:00 PM – We get lunch in a town called Vik and visit the black sand beach. Awesome rock formations protrude out of the ocean in the distance. We want to stay, but the locals tell us there are no hostels in town with availability.

5:00 PM – In the next town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur (we don’t bother trying to pronounce its name), we check into the hostel. Grabbing a few Viking beers, we head up a trail to the cliffs where we stay until sunset.

Day 3 – Saturday

8:00 AM – Om nom nom! I’m eating some Skyr for breakfast, an extra creamy, non-fat Scandinavian yogurt. After we finish eating, we pack the car again and hit the road.

11:00 AM – We left the car parked just down the hill and are gazing at a huge lake with ice formations spread across it. This is Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon with natural ice monuments leftover from the receding Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. I decide to jog along the shoreline to get a better look.

12:00 PM – After taking in the scenery, I jog back to Fabrice and Carolina. On the way, I fall on the rocks and bang up my leg pretty bad. It’s bleeding as I limp back to them, but I don’t even care. With scenery like this, nothing can get me down.

1:00 PM – Carolina helps clean up my leg and we hit the road again. We’re on our way to Iceland’s farthest eastern town: Höfn.

6:00 PM – The three of us ascend the hill next to the Höfn hostel to drink the rest of our case of Viking beers and take in the amazing Eastern fjords and mountains.

8:00 PM – Fabrice and I cook a huge dinner of vegetables, couscous, and fish cakes. We all go to bed full and happy.

Day 4 – Sunday

7:00 AM – I watch as Carolina boards the bus in Höfn. Her flight out of Reykavik is scheduled to leave tomorrow so her journey with us is cut short. But we will meet again when we’re both in New Zealand in several months.

8:00 AM – Fabrice and I head North on the Ring Road in Iceland. We want to get to Mývatn before dark to experience the natural hot springs there. The scenery along the Eastern coast is breathtaking in these early morning hours.

2:00 PM – The road soon turns from beautiful fjordlands to a much darker, volcanic wasteland. Soon there’s the distinct rotten egg smell of sulfur pouring through the car vents. We must be getting close to Mývatn.

3:00 PM – We stop at the sulfur springs of Námafjall hverir. The ground here is either cracked and dry or hot and bubbling. Thermals are loudly pumping and fizzling steam out of the ground. We feel like we’re on another planet. The sulfur smell is intense and there are flies buzzing around everywhere.

4:00 PM – We arrive at our hostel in Mývatn. The weather is rainy and the town seems deserted. We check out the hostel and are unimpressed. Emerging from the hostel building, we are attacked with hundreds of flies! They swarm around our faces, going in our eyes, buzzing around our ears, and flying into our mouths as we gasp in disgust. We run back to the car and slam the doors shut. “Let’s get out of here!” we say in unison. Later, we learned “Mý” in “Mývatn” is Icelandic for flies.

5:00 PM – It only takes us an hour to make our way to Iceland’s second largest city, Akureyri. We check into the backpacker hostel, have a bite to eat, and I take a nap.

7:00 PM – I wake up to the sounds of guitars and people singing. I head downstairs and find Fabrice sitting with a huge group of backpackers, a few of whom we had met at the couchsurf meet-up in Reykavik several nights earlier! France, Canada, Germany, Wales, and England are all represented at the table. We spend the rest of the evening singing songs and drinking merrily.

11:00 PM – Fabrice goes upstairs to bed, but I walk with the group up a hillside overlooking the city. In the rain, they set up a campsite there and we continue to party until the wee hours.

Day 5 – Monday

10:00 AM – The backpackers from the night before all leave to go on their own adventures while Fabrice and I decide to spend another day in Akureyri. I write all afternoon while Fabrice skateboards around town.

3:00 PM – We check out the Akureyri public pool together. There we meet another French Canadian, Pascal, who is staying at the same hostel. We all decide to cook together that night.

5:00 PM – Fabrice suggests we buy minke whale meat at the supermarket since it’s something you can rarely get in other countries. I’m very hesitant, but decide it’s a part of the cultural experience being in Iceland. It tastes like a mix between beef and tuna. I feel awful eating whale and didn’t love the taste, but I’m glad I kept an open mind and tried it anyway.

7:00 PM – Pascal, Fabrice, and I meet Hreiðar, an Icelandic native who was sitting in the backpackers bar.

9:00 PM – Hreiðar takes us down the street to a late night happy hour down the street. I learn part of Hreiðar’s job is to take care of the forest nursery. There are very few trees around Iceland, but once the baby trees are grown up in the greenhouses they will be planted around the country and Iceland will be full of trees again!

Day 6 – Tuesday

9:00 AM – Fabrice and I pick up a hitch hiker before leaving Akureyri. Valentina is a young woman from Italy working in Iceland for several months. We spend the ride sharing ideas about how we’d like to make the world a better place in which to live.

10:00 AM – We meet some farmers herding sheep on the side of the road. We’re awe-struck by the insanely beautiful scenery surrounding them as they go about their daily work.

12:00 PM – We drop Valentina off and continue to Borgarnes, a quaint town on a peninsula near the northwest fjords. We stop at Café Kyrrð in town for lunch.

5:00 PM – Fabrice and I make friends with a German couple in the kitchen at the hostel and then make plans to meet them later.

7:00 PM – Entering the Borgarnes public pool area, we spot the German couple and join them. We all end up giggling like school children as we slide down the water slides together.

8:00 PM – I swim in the main pool until sunset, reflecting on how lucky I am to be in such a beautiful place, meeting such wonderful new people.

Day 7 – Wednesday

11:00 AM – We drop off the car rental in Reykjavik and then walk to the backpacker hostel in the city center.

2:00 PM – I spend some time by myself exploring the city and shopping for my German relatives who I will be meeting in the coming weeks.

4:00 PM – Our friends from the Akureyri backpackers hostel are back from their adventures! We meet and spend the rest of the day at the hostel making music and partying together.

8:00 PM – We all go to a bar down the street. Many of us are leaving the country in the coming days, so this is a farewell outing.

11:30 PM – I help the backpackers set up camp right in the center of town! We all hug each other goodbye. It’s time for me to go back to the hostel. My plane will depart for Frankfurt, Germany early the next morning.

Rikka has been taking more road trips and camping all over New Zealand with other travelers for the last four months. She is currently living and working in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand living with a local and volunteering with a community center that helps citizens and immigrants with various social justice issues. Rikka is looking forward to more adventures this year including diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, crewing a ship around the South Pacific, and maybe even making her way back to Southeast Asia.

The best part about deviating the norm is Rikka never knows where she might end up next, who she might meet, or what opportunities may come her way! Find out where she’s been and where she goes next at deviatingthenorm.com, or by following her Instagram, Facebook page, or Twitter feed.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Rikka on the Ring Road in Iceland appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

(See also: Earning Income Abroad by Teaching English)

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

Day 1: Monday

7:30 am – Jess and I wake up in rural china. We get out of bed and stretch the kinks out of our backs from sleeping on a hard-board mattress (common in China). We get ready quickly in our large yet plain apartment and go down five flights of stairs to get outside.

8:30 am – 5 minutes later we arrive at the International School that we’ve worked at for a year and a half. I go into my classroom and begin setting up for my first class, while Jess does the same in her classroom.

9:05 am – The first 45-minute class begins. I go over vocabulary, play games, and sing songs with my 4th graders. I have three classes this morning, each with 45-50 students.

12:00 pm – After the morning classes a few of the teachers cram into a Tuc Tuc (a box on the back of a scooter) and we head to our favorite noodle restaurants that we have deemed “Peanut Noodles.” Inside, people laugh, point and stare unabashedly at us while we eat. It has become normal for us by now and we try to ignore it as best we can.

2:00 pm – I have three afternoon classes and during my 2nd one, a student throws up in the back row. The smell sends students in all directions creating a comical blend of shock, disgust, and hysterical laughter. My sick student is okay, but I am struggling to keep the students’ attention after such a display.

5:00 pm – It’s a fairly normal Monday evening. Jess and I are hanging out in the apartment after cooking Mac N Cheese from home and we are watching a movie as we recover from another Monday.

Day 2: Tuesday

6:55 am – We are woken up to fireworks going off outside of our apartment. The Chinese shoot fireworks off at all times of the day and for a million different reasons (holidays, business openings, weddings, etc.)

7:30 am – I get to school earlier today because I have an 8:10am class. I set up my classroom and wait for students to arrive…but no one shows up. I make a phone call and I’m told that my class is cancelled. I decide to sit in the office for 45 minutes and make classroom decorations until my next class arrives.

5:00 pm – I go to the gym that opened this year. We live in a small town and the concept of a gym is shocking to us, but the gym really is decent! At the gym I’m doing “planks” (an ab workout) when a random Chinese guy comes up, gets down, stares me in the eye and starts doing them with me. It becomes an unexpected competition, but certainly not unlikely.

5:03 pm – My gym competitor learns that I don’t know Chinese, but it doesn’t stop him from talking to me. He is asking me questions, I say I don’t understand and then he asks another question. I take photos with him and all of his friends, shake their hands and go back to working out.

Day 3: Wednesday

6:45 am – Today we are woken up to a strange symphony of roosters and scooter alarms going off. The couple who lives in the apartment complex next to us are having an early morning argument as well, adding some lively emotion to the symphony. It’s another morning in rural China.

7:25 am – We stop at a food stand outside of the school to get our favorite breakfast (Tofu, noodles, spices and vegetables all stuffed in a double tortilla). There’s one person ahead of us, but by the time we get our food six people have cut in front of us. Lines don’t exist here.

5:30 pm – We buy vegetables across the street. For $3 US dollars we almost can’t carry the vegetables back home! We will be cooking in for a while.

Day 4: Thursday

11:00 am – I’m 10 minutes into my 3rd morning class when a stranger comes in, says something in Chinese, and all my students just get up and leave. The stranger says “sorry” in broken english and walks out.

11:15 am – We take advantage of an early lunch and start walking to a popular restaurant in town. On the way, a guy we have never met before pulls up in a van and starts yelling Chinese in a friendly tone. He persistently offers to give us a ride to the restaurant so we accept.

11: 35 am – We are now sitting down at lunch….and the stranger who drove us is sitting across the table smiling back at us. He has been talking nonstop and chain smoking the entire time and we are trying to be attentive despite not knowing what he is saying. He orders our food as if we don’t know how to do it ourselves and proceeds to order an asinine amount of beer.

12:00 pm – Because we didn’t want to offend our new friend, we are all drunk now. Two of his friends showed up earlier to see the “foreigner show,” take pictures, and then left. The atmosphere is light, but I am beginning to become aggravated about never feeling in control of situations in China. Life is just unpredictable here.

1:00 pm – After lunch our new friend pays for the entire meal, drives us back to our apartments and enthusiastically waves good bye. We stumble up the five flights of stairs…fortunately, none of us have to teach this afternoon.

Day 5: Friday

8:10 am – Today we are going to Luoyang, a popular tourist city in rural China about three hours away (6.5 million people live in the area surrounding Luoyang). It’s home to many famous attractions and this weekend we are going to see some of them. We finish our morning classes and begin getting ready to leave.

12:30 am – One of our Chinese friends (John), calls us and asks if we want to eat lunch. We were planning on leaving for Luoyang soon, but decide to meet up with him at 1:00pm for a quick lunch. We arrive at a place called the “Water Bar” five minutes before 1pm.

1:45 pm – John shows up 45 mins late and doesn’t mention the fact that he is late at all. It’s not so uncommon to be late in China though; we ignore it as much as we can.

3:30 pm – After lunch we take a taxi to a random street corner on the outskirts of town where the bus to Luoyang departs. It’s crowded and Chinese people start taking our picture in a fashion they believe to be very “casual.” Their obviousness is almost comical…

4:15 pm – We get on the rickety old bus and a loud and animated conversation about “us” starts up. People are saying “foreigner” in Chinese, pointing at us, and laughing. Some try to talk to us and unabashedly laugh in our face when we say we don’t understand. We smile politely and make inside jokes to each other about the lifestyle we have chosen to live in.

5:15 pm – The bus has been driving for an hour now and as we look out the window we are surprised to see the same street corner that we started at! The bus driver has now gone 30 minutes in the right direction, but then turned around to go back because the traffic seemed too bad. But don’t worry…he seems to know a shortcut…

6:00 pm – We are now bumbling down an old country road in the middle of nowhere. The bus driver has stopped three separate times to ask random people on the side of the road for directions.

6:25 pm – We are stuck in a narrow alley, in a tiny village, unable to go forward and unable to turn anymore. People have come out of their houses to see what’s going on, people on the bus are all screaming their advice to the driver, phones are out, people are pointing, and people in the village are meandering over to the “obviously lost bus” to see what’s going on.

7:45 pm – The bus driver has found the main highway now and we have an hour and a half to go. The lady sitting next to us on the bus has been intermittently talking to us for an hour now and points to random items around the bus, trying to say their english name. She holds up a pen and yells “PEN!” with a big grin on her face. As introverts, Jess and I are exhausted.

10:30 pm – The bus arrives in Luoyang and hour and a half late. We catch a taxi, and go to the hostel we reserved online. After discussing our plans for the following day, we drink a couple beers and just try to relax, and pass out before midnight in our separate 8-bed dorm rooms.

Day 6: Saturday

8:00 am – Jess and I meet up in the hostel lobby and head out for the world’s greatest breakfast in China…McDonalds Sausage McMuffins! It is a rare treat for us because our little city doesn’t have any fast food restaurants and Luoyang has the king of all fast food…McDonalds! Back home we rarely go there but it has become an inside joke for us about how much we love it…more than anything we just feel a little more like human beings at McDonalds in China.

10:00 am – We ride a bus to a popular tourist attraction called “Longmen Grottoes.” It depicts ancient stone carvings and statues from the Ming Dynasty and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s a bit of graffiti on the Buddhist stone carvings, but it is an impressive display of Chinese art and history.

3:00 pm – After Longmen Grottoes we take a break in the hostel and enjoy lounging around and drinking coffee. We want to go to The “Whitehorse Temple” (the first Buddhist Temple in China), but are reconsidering after so much walking at Longmen Grottoes.

5:00 pm – After a moment of inspiration we both agree to go to “The Whitehorse Temple.” It is expensive to get into, but we are glad that we can say we saw it. The temple is spread out over a huge area and it speaks highly of a history long forgotten in China. We find ourselves discussing whether “temples” in China are like “castles” in Europe…once you’ve seen a couple you’ve seen them all.

8:00 pm – We head back to the hostel and end up talking to some of my roommates for a while before going to bed.

Day 7: Sunday

9:00 am – We find our way back to McDonalds for the morning “Sausage McMuffin Ritual.” Ah to feel human if only for a moment. We checked out of the hostel earlier and now have our backpacks with us. After breakfast we head to the bus station and catch a bus with no issues.

2:00 pm – We make it back home and are in our apartment in record time. Jess and I are glad that there were no issues with the bus driver’s navigational skills on the return trip. We are slightly exhausted and still have to finish our lesson plans for the following week.

5:30 pm – After a few hours in the office I print out my lesson plan, put the final touches on my power point slide and set flashcards up in my classroom.

9:00 pm – We unpack and eat dinner late in the evening. Another week is over and we fall into that lackadaisical feeling that comes with Sunday evenings. We get through half a movie, eat popcorn shipped from home and fall asleep on our hard mattress…ready for another week.

Although Dan and Jess have enjoyed teaching in rural China as an opportunity to learn and assimilate into a new culture, they will be moving on after this teaching year. They will travel what is left of SE Asia, possibly spend a couple weeks in Greece and Italy, and then head to Canada to establish a home base where they can leave their stuff and begin seriously making plans to open a hostel, in either Canada, the United States, or Central America. Regardless, travel will continue to be a large part of their lives for a very long time. You can follow their adventures on Searching For Your Zen, and learn more about teaching English as a foreign language on their TEFL Corner page.

This post A Week-In-The-Life of Dan and Jess, Teaching in Rural China appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!