Blog Thoughts

Want to see an alligator in Louisiana? Perhaps even hold a baby alligator? Louisiana alligators are an integral part of the ecosystem and frankly Louisiana just wouldn’t be the same without them. When planning your visit to Louisiana seeing an alligator is one of the top things to do! Where is the best place to find one? It depends. It depends …

I’ve spent a lot of my adult years trying to be appreciative for what I have rather than what I do not. Admittedly, this isn’t always an easy task, especially in a world that constantly preaches more. Though life seems to throw things in your direction ever once in a while just to make sure you are holding true to …

Few things are more daunting to me than having an unquenchable fascination with the world’s languages. It can be a bit overwhelming at times when you have a desire to know them all. I guess what I’m speaking about is a bit of a polyglot problem, or at least this aspiring polyglot’s problem, but it is a real one none …

I don’t think that I ever actually shared what got me so interested in languages on my blog or why I ever started in the first place. One might guess that it comes from my interests in culture or travel, and those would both be correct, but those aren’t the whole truth. Just a part of it. In the interest …

With the title of this article, you might think, well why don’t you just ask them where they are from? Of course this would be the easiest and most direct route, but in my experience it isn’t always the most diplomatic. In fact, it can sometimes be a source of insecurity and alienation, more than you may realize. When I …

Last night I saw a unique random act of kindness. Something you don’t see to often in the big city, or maybe it’s just that you don’t notice them as much. It isn’t that people aren’t kind, but rather that they are often too busy with their own lives to see what’s going on around them. Also, I find that the …

My Thoughts After Having a Smart Phone for 1 Year About a year ago, I finally caved in and tried out the smart phone world. For long before that, I adamantly opposed smart phones and many of these ‘technological conveniences’ as I only saw the negative in them. The negative effects that they have on social situations I mean. I …

Why I Love Walking “Just take the taxi” she said, “it’s only a 5 minute ride.” “Exactly,” I replied. “That’s why I’ll walk.” No matter which country I visit in the world, I am always drawn to the most primitive of exploration methods: walking. I’ve found no way better to get to know a city, a country, or a people …

Lessons from Youth Sports and How I’ve Applied Them to Traveling and My Life I decided to write this as a tribute to my former coaches and teachers. I think that our teachers and coaches are some of the most under-appreciated heroes in our society and should be thanked more often. Education is a pinnacle aspect of society and those who dedicate …

A Cup of Tea Can Change Your Life The other day I stopped at a local café to have a tea. I had been frequenting this café for a few days and somewhat befriended the owner. A young Turkish man not much older than myself. He is a hard-worker and a very knowledgeable individual, speaking nearly 6 languages. On this …

Hello readers! I would just like to personally take this opportunity to thank you all for being so supportive in my journey to create this travel blog and website. The last few months have been really exciting for me as a blogger. I have received many new followers and readers, and it is great to have you all on board! …

Why I like Hostels They aren’t anything like Hollywood… I’m a hosteler for life. A few years back, I got introduced to the hosteling system from my first trip abroad. I was told by everyone how shady they were and asked if I would even make it out alive. Well, I survived, and did so with a new found respect …

Unique Ways to See the World And Examples of People Who Are Doing Them Since the beginning of time people have traversed this beautiful earth we live on. They’ve found new places, discovered the great unknowns, and met interesting people with motivations ranging from religion to riches to exploration for the sake of exploration. We’ve all heard of the great …

Home is where the what is? Travelers are fortunate to see some amazing things in the world, and then return carrying those experiences with them forever. Most travelers, even long-term travelers, will likely return home at some point even if it is just for some time. As they return home, they are inevitably equipped with a new prism and outlook …

The Dunes of the Sahara Along time ago, I read about the journey of a shepherd boy. The boy had forever sought something in his life. What the boy sought was something that had been ever so vividly depicted in his nightly dreams. It was strange and foreign, yet still warm and welcoming. The boy set out one day leaving …

Reasons to be a Backpacker Over the past 40-50 years, being a backpacker has become a global trademark of a sort. The backpack has rapidly become a universal and unmistakable symbol for someone who is out to explore what the world has to offer. Backpackers come in many shapes, sizes, colors, nationalities, and creeds. People generally go backpacking for different …

Good morning world! This is a big day, I just received word that I was chosen as one of the top 16 bloggers in the Big Blog Exchange! I am so excited to be exchanging with Sara Rodriguez from Mindful Travel. I don’t know all the details yet, but I am going to Spain!! I personally want to thank each …

Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You Long before I ever stepped foot out into the world there were talks of this dreaded “travel bug”.  A “travel bug” they’d say was a feeling you’d get after tasting what the world had to offer. It would leave a nagging imprint on you, much like a feeling a bug would leave on you …

Learning from an Artist What Monet’s Gardens can Teach us No trip to France is complete without getting a taste of the famous artworks of those who came before us. Typically, most visitors will go to Le Louvre or Versailles to get their fix. I was fortunate to get a good taste of each, but made a special stop while …

My reason for traveling When I think back to my original inspiration for exploring the world, it is difficult for me to pinpoint exactly where it all started. I often refer to my university experience with international friends, but that really isn’t the source of my drive to know the world. I remember back to when I was a boy. …

What is on my Bucket List? O the bucket list. People have long talked about their life-long dreams and things that they have always wanted to do. In modern society, this list has been called the ‘bucket list’. Most people rarely complete the items on their list, but some do get their chance. I think that it would be common …

I once had a Kenyan teacher from a small town outside of Nairobi. He told me a story from his childhood that has remained with me for years. The moral of the story has remained in my mind in spite of its simpleness, likely because it made me realize the difference between educating a child on right and wrong and …

A Normandy Review in Pictures Looking back at time spent on the beaches of Normandy As I approached the edge of the cliff overlooking the English Channel, I could hardly help but notice the pristine beauty of Normandy, France (Normandie in French).  While my mind drifted from beauty to chaos, I could nearly imagine the tragedy of death and war, which littered the …

Excuses, Excuses and the Big Blog Exchange (Explanation of the BigBlogExchange Included below) Hey all, I know I haven’t been at my usually 2-3 articles per week, but I have an excuse or at least a few of them.  I apologize for being slightly MIA (missing in action) on my blog, but I am doing my best to produce articles …

The Lasting Effects of the Yugoslavian Civil War A story in picture form If you got a chance to read my article Tales from the Balkans, I tried to give an overview of what the Balkans are really like these days.  A once unified yet presently strongly disunited people torn by politics, religion, and ethnicity.  The Balkans is home to …

The Liebster Award Many great things are happening here at BackpackingDiplomacy.com.  Outside of writing for my loyal followers and meeting amazing travel bloggers from around the world, I was recently recognized by two separate bloggers for the Liebster Award, and by one for the Versatile Blogger Award.  Thanks to Renee(Travelwithrenee – @reneestravels) and Chris and Heather (Tourist Guide Central – @touristguidec), I was afforded the …

Helping fellow Travel Bloggers How we can build community  The internet started not too long ago as a unilateral system of static webpages and read-only content.  There was no such thing as interactions, especially not through comments nor social media.  The best that you could do was to email someone and hope for a reply.  Blogging has revolutionized the internet …

Things you Learn when Traveling Traveling teaches us many things.  In fact, traveling changes us in many ways.  We are always challenged by the life experiences that we have, regardless of whether those experiences are at home are abroad.  Life tests us, pushes us, and eventually we find out who we are and where we stand. For those who listen, …

About those Languages I write a lot about language learning and different world languages.  Although, I do not know many well, I thoroughly enjoy studying, comparing, and learning new words in another language.  The very construction of language as a form of communication interests me.  I have written multiple articles on ways to learn a langauge, practice a language and …

World Documentaries Online A few good films that will make you think I don’t spend too much time watching TV anymore.  In fact, I don’t think that I will have a TV when I eventually move to a new residence.  If I do watch TV, I will usually spend my time watching History, Discovery, Comedy, Nat Geo, the Travel Channel, …

An Personal Analysis of the Road not Taken What do his words really mean to me? “The two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost (The road not taken) After reading this poem a few times, it is right for one to wonder …

Going ‘old school’ when traveling It wasn’t too long ago that people had to carry currencies around for all the countries that the intended to visit.  They had maps, phone numbers, phrase books, boarding passes, and anything else that was absolutely essential to life.  The idea of all of those things coming together through a computer was but a figment …

Travel Resolutions for the New Year It is that time of year again.   As we reflect over this past year’s events.  We’ve seen trials; we’ve seen tribulations.  We’ve been tested. We’ve experienced, and we’ve grown.  We are thankful for the holiday time that we spent with family and friends.  We anxiously awaited our ever impending Mayan induced zombie apocalypse.  Now, …

A Boy in Bengal The other day I was talking with a good friend of mine and he told me a story that I’d like to share.  We were discussing difficult life decisions and he gave me a bit of wisdom that I won’t soon forget.  A life lesson from the road. There was once a young boy in Bengal. …

Can comedians help with diplomacy? The other day one of my friends showed me a video of an Iranian-American comedian who was making light of several issues regarding Middle-Eastern foreign policy.  Since then, I have been considering the topic of soft diplomacy and how a comedian could be a force in diplomatic matters. There are many different diplomatic approaches.  Over …

A traveler’s duty Often, we as travelers find ourselves indulging in the many pleasures of life on the road.  We get to see some of the most amazing things that the world has to offer.  We get to meet wonderful people from every corner of Earth; and all the while, we have a good time doing it.  In traveling though, …

Being international at home This is an introduction of an upcoming series that I’ll have regarding how to fulfill your passion for travel without ever leaving home.  It is easy for people who are constantly able to travel to forget what it’s like not to be traveling.  However, there are many people out there who have the traveling soul, but …

What I’ve Learned from the Road This article is about what I’ve learned from being on the road and traveling parts of the world. 1.) Never pass up an opportunity to do something new.  You might not get a second chance.  You really never know what you can learn from one experience no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. …

 What is the opposite of homesickness?   A while ago, I was thinking about possible alternatives to the word “homesick” or the idea of “homesickness”.  After contemplating the thought, I came to the conclusion that we don’t really have any good terms associated with homesickness. Sure we have wanderlust, cabin fever, and a few more, but those words do not …

Should you travel during high season or low season Which should you choose? Traveling at any time is a good idea.  The season in which you travel though is something that you might want to spend some time thinking about before leaving.  It depends primarily on your goals and budget, but also to a lesser degree, on the experience you will have …

The Balkans A backpacker’s view of the Balkan War and its lasting impact Brief History of the Balkans and its Recent War The Balkans are a very colorful and historically rich region in Europe.  The Balkans loosely consist of all the countries south of Slovenia and Romania.  Definitions change depending on who you ask, but most would say that Turkey …

New Diplomacy What it means and why you should care New Diplomacy is the idea that the common citizen has a role in modern diplomacy.  Taken further, it means that interactions between people from around the globe will help to shape foreign policies and ideals through learning and cultural sharing.  By interacting closely with one another in a real world …

American vs European Culture After the Natives, no group of people has influenced the United States of America greater than the many different cultures of Europe.  Europeans were and have been instrumental in the foundation of the Country.  Although, the demographic outlook of the United States is far more mixed today than ever, Europeans were still the primary instigators in this …

Visit the Balkans A Few Quick Reasons to Visit the Balkans The Balkans combine to make a region of Europe that is often passed over by visitors.  In fact, there are far few visitors to Eastern Europe annually than to most Western European nations.  The most visited places in Europe tend to be France (Paris), Italy (Rome), Spain (Barcelona), and …

Best Things about America What America Does Well The U.S. of A.; some love it, some hate it, but I guarantee that most who live in it can agree that a few aspects that exist within America are worth missing.  After some contemplation, I have come up with my own list of things America does better than other places that …