Vagabonding : Ramblings

Interview with Nik Halik

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Nik Halik

One great interview deserves another. Before heading off to South America, I had the opportunity to spend an extraordinary hour with Nik Halik on the phone and my life paradigms haven’t been the same since.

Rock star, adventurer, mountaineer, and now millionaire, he has 112 countries worth of experience and is an inspiration to everyone, traveler or not. He has even been to a couple of places that you won’t find covered in Lonely Planet - the Titanic and space!

Nik made his dreams come true by taking control of his thinking and by not wasting life trying to collect material things. He subscribes completely to the idea that we attract good things to happen with the right attitude and puts his money back into life experiences.

I’m going to split this interview into two posts - one with Nik’s background and one with the more personal dialogue and his advice.

Nik is a vagabonding hero and his way of thinking is highly contagious - you’ve been warned!

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Posted in Ramblings |

New Contest - Win a free RIBZ Front Pack

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My backpacking website Startbackpacking.com and RIBZ USA are giving away one of their unique “Front Packs”!

All you have to do to win is subscribe to the RSS via email to receive new articles from Startbackpacking.com before March 15, 2010. No, you will never get SPAM, just a link when I make updates on the www.startbackpacking.com website.

Go read my RIBZ Pack Review and find the contest rules at the bottom.

The packs retail for $65 but the very cool owner has offered Startbackpacking.com readers a discount + free shipping.

The winner will be announced after March 15, 2010 - good luck!

Posted in Ramblings |

Interview: 77 Years Old and Still Vagabonding

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Sallie Latch in Egypt

One of the best parts of running this vagabonding blog is the opportunity to meet new and interesting people.

At least weekly I get email from female readers asking about how safe it is to travel alone, or asking my advice about where to travel as a woman.

I was wondering how to best answer these emails when Sallie popped up and I knew right away that I had to share her amazing story with everyone out there - she is an inspiration no matter who you are.

Sal is a 77 year old woman traveling the world alone.

Starting at the age of 18, Sal has been to 28 countries, many of which could be called “dangerous”, has been living in Mexico for the last 5 years, and has no plans to stop any time soon. In fact, even after being diagnosed with Leukemia two and a half years ago, she is in the process of planning her next year long adventure.

She spent 2 years serving in the Peace Corps in Malaysia, lived in China for 3.5 years as a teacher, and worked in a Burmese refugee camp. She was in Israel-Palestine just weeks after a bombing and Nigeria in 1981 when according to her there were “young soldiers with big guns and little food”.

I think I have a new hero.

Like many long term travelers have learned, Sal believes in the Law of Attraction - that your outlook and confidence attract good things to happen while you are on the road.

How I would love to sit down and listen to some of this woman’s wisdom. As is the case with most vagabonds, its hard to predict where she will be, so I had to settle with a remote interview instead.

If you are currently traveling, dreaming of vagabonding, or just want a dose of inspiration in your life to help exchange obstacles and excuses for dreams - read on!

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