Greetings from the British Virgin Islands! After trying my hand at sailing a 32ft sailboat for a day in St Martin (as seen above), I was offered an opportunity to join a charter on a 43ft sailboat for a week in the BVIs. My job: one that I love – cooking! There are four of us on the boat (the captain, myself, and a couple who are friends of the captain), and although it’s cozy, it really is amazing how ingenious the use of space is on these boats.

The 12 hour sail from St Martin to the BVIs was not without its grief, however, as I was seasick from about the three hour mark onwards, and my only relief was to be unconscious. But my spirits remained undeterred, and since then I haven’t felt any pangs of nausea as we hop around this tightly knit group of islands in the northern Caribbean; the sailing capital of the world.

I’m not sure what my future holds in store (as early as next week), but I’m fairly sure I won’t attempt the sail back down/over to St Martin; it’s officially called the Anegada passage, but unofficially known as the “Ohmygodda” passage – and for a reason. The wind was at our backs enroute, but I can only imagine how relentless it would be with the big swells going the other way. Although I’m feeling somewhat confident that I might have gained my sea legs, I’m not entirely willing to test that theory.

All this time on sailboats (something I would never have imagined myself doing a few mere months ago), it gives me pause to consider some of the amazing opportunities I’ve had in life so far….and some that are yet to come. Check out my article below on Reverse Bucket Lists for more about this. While you’re voraciously reading, check out my Flaskpacking article; are you a flashpacker?

Wise Bread

Reverse Bucket List: Look Back Before Looking Forward

Before you make a “bucket list” of things you want to do in life, don’t skip this vital first step ― it could be the key to happiness.

Care One

An Introduction to Flashpacking

Are you not quite a backpacker, but not quite a tourist? Do you like to travel with certain comforts and style? Are you on a budget but not willing to sacrifice experiences because of it? Then read on; you just might be a Flashpacker.

For just shy of two weeks now, I’ve been living on a boat anchored in St Martin.

This is ironic for me; in September I met a traveler in Portugal who said he’d be hanging out on his friend’s boat in the Caribbean come Christmas.

“You should come join us,” he said. “You’d look great on a sailboat with a big sun hat on!” (And no, he wasn’t coming on to me).

I guffawed. “No way you’ll find me on a boat, thankyouverymuch. I get seasick at the mere thought of it!”

And that was that.

So you can imagine my own surprise when, come Christmas, I was hanging out on a friend’s sailboat in the Caribbean in Grenada. A mere dip of my toes into the seafaring sailing culture in the Caribbean, and I was hooked! So I made the decision to test my sea legs by living on a boat for a while – hence my trip up to St Martin to board a friend’s boat.

And despite my previous disposition toward seasickness (even in calm conditions), I haven’t even fought pangs of nausea! I’m working on a theory that seasickness is much more fear-based than physiological.

So far, so good!

Check out my latest article on how to get free accommodation, as well as a few places I’ve been interviewed recently.

Care One

Four Ways to Get Free Accommodation on Your Next Vacation

Read this article to discover one of my biggest secrets to making full-time travel financially sustainable: free accommodation!

Profiles & Shout-Outs

Fellow traveler and Wise Bread writer Myscha of Trekhound wrote this lovely profile of my life, along with some of my general tips on keeping full-time travel affordable.

How to Be a Professional Hobo

I also chatted with Jon of Tantric Traveler for quite a while about how I came to travel, some of the challenges of the full-time travel lifestyle, and some tips and resources for how to do it. Have a listen! It’s broken down into four easy-to-listen-to segments.

Living the Travel Dream with Nora of The Professional Hobo

On New Year’s Eve, I felt cold. I got my first goose bumps since arriving in Grenada three months ago.

How arresting it was, on this mildly chilly night (and by “chilly” I mean 20+ degrees Celsius), to realize that this was the first time I’d even contemplated what “cold” was since arriving.

This whole “winter in the Caribbean” thing is pretty sweet.

So, I’m staying.

In two days’ time, I’ll be flying from Grenada to St Martin where I’ll meet up with some newly acquainted friends to test out my sea legs with a month aboard a sailboat. The captain even has a parrot….I can just hear it now: “*squawk*! Nora just puked again! *squawk*”!

After that, I’m not sure what will happen, but possibilities like salsa in Cuba and yoga in Bahamas are both alluring and percolating. By the end of March, I’ll return in Grenada (yes, I love it here that much), to resume my house-sitting position for a further few months.

So in my plight to travel slowly and “LIVE” around the world (as opposed to simply passing through), I’ll be spending (at least) nine months in the Caribbean. What a privilege and a treat, to even temporarily refer to this idyllic place that is the breeding ground for world-wide visions of “paradise”… as “home”.

For those who are preparing for the world to end this year, here’s a little numerology to get you going: As I was driving along the other day, my eyes glanced at the odometer (something they never do). Just at that moment, it was rolling over to 212,000…..on the eve of 2012.

How cool is that?!

Okay, maybe not that cool. But these articles below are! Check ‘em out!

Wise Bread

The Secret to Time-Management and Work-Life Balance

If you want to be happy with your work-life balance, you might be surprised to discover it’s about much more than how you manage your time.

Care One

Surviving the Holiday Blues

“‘Tis the season,” alright! ‘Tis the season to be sorry, sick, and miserable. If this is how you generally feel during the holidays, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Here are seven things you can do to get through the holidays a little cheerier:

Profiles & Shout-Outs

I’m pleased that an article I wrote for Wise Bread about 100 Ways to Change your Life years ago (and one that has remained among Wise Bread’s top articles) inspired a post by Amy Gutman over at the Huffington Post. She has a nice take on the exercise by putting a different spin on New Year’s Resolutions.

Stuck on New Year’s Resolutions? Try This Instead

And Jenny Kerr, a columnist for GoBankingRates wrote an intriguing post about retiring abroad, and about less conventional retirement lifestyles. Although I’m not technically “retired”, I do live out the retirement dreams of many….so my lifestyle was profiled for the article. Check it out!

Save Money by Retiring Abroad: How to Retire Overseas for Less

I have a word for Grenada now. A word that encapsulates how to exist on this island (and perhaps in life) in a harmonious and conducive way. Maybe it has less to do with Grenada and more to do with where I’m at in my life and travel career (now five years strong), but regardless, it’s a beautiful way to live life:

Flow.

The other day I asked a friend of mine what he did the night prior. After describing his initial plans, he then described how they changed utterly with an unexpected visitor who took the night in a different direction. This sort of story is more common than not in Grenada, where anything from a spectacular sunset to getting in on a fisherman’s bounty to hiking in a rainstorm to having an unexpected visitor can alter your plans – if you allow it to.

This is where “Flow” comes into it. Flow is about seeing and moving with your environment, rolling with the punches, and seizing the opportunities. It’s about being open to new experiences, friendships, and ideas you may not have considered before.

On this journey of embodying “flow”, I’m enjoying using all my senses to learn and feel more of Grenada – from the flora and fauna to the people and culture – and seeing where these warm Caribbean winds might blow me yet.

So yeah. I still love it here. (Just in case it didn’t show)!

Please enjoy my latest ramblings, including some ideas around gratitude & frugality, along with a proposal that living in one place might actually cost more than traveling full-time.

Wise Bread

Gratitude and Frugality

Gratitude can be a very powerful way to live and prosper in life. Read on for frugal ways to express gratitude and watch your own life transform.

Care One

Full Time Travel is Cheaper than Staying in One Place

Would you believe full-time travel is cheaper than staying in one place? I didn’t believe it myself until I did it. The longer you stay in one place, the higher your cost of living becomes.

I didn’t think it would be possible, but every day here in Grenada gets better and better. I see or learn or appreciate something new daily; from a beautiful natural wonder, to a connection with a friendly local, to eating a scrumptious food, or even just reading a great book next to the sea.

One of the things I love about Grenada is the duality of life: I live in a very quiet place and have lots of time for my own things, but whenever I wish I can plug myself into a thriving social scene. With a growing group of friends (ranging from locals to expats to visitors), I’m nestling into many aspects of the Caribbean life quite nicely. (A far cry from the rocky start I had when I arrived)!

In fact, as of next Thursday, I’ll be regaling you with more tales and videos observing and depicting life in Grenada, now that my series on Vietnam  has come to a close.

I have a hot round-up of articles for you today! The posts below have been very popular so far, and I think you’ll see why when you take a peek at them.

Wise Bread

Cash for Trash: Making Money by Recycling

Here are some ways to recycle things you can’t normally dispose of responsibly, and make some money while you’re at it.

Care One

20 Ways to Practice – and Profit From – Gratitude

When you approach your life with total gratitude, the resulting opportunities can be profound. Sometimes it leads to financial profit, sometimes other kinds.

Try some of these 20 ways to practice gratitude, and watch how your own life changes.

Profiles & Shout-Outs

NationalRVParks.com recently interviewed me, and I talked about everything from how I got started traveling 5 years ago, to how TheProfessionalHobo.com came to be, to what the future might hold.

Interview with Nora Dunn of The Professional Hobo

Prime Sarmiento of Gypsy Gals just put together an e-book filled with inspiring stories of solo female travelers. And I’m one of them!

I talk about focus, saving money for travel, and keeping your eye on the ball without getting distracted by impulse shopping sprees. I keep company in the book with other amazing female travelers who talk about things like love, awareness, dreams, writing, and fear. It’s a lovely inspirational read….and it’s free! Check it out:

Gypsy Gals Tales: A guide for Solo Female Travelers

I’m starting to settle into a lovely routine here in Grenada; going for early-ish morning walks (this picture having been taken from one such walk to the neighbouring cove – a totally secluded beach), getting into a little yoga routine, then spending mornings sipping awesome Vietnamese coffee and working on my laptop.

Afternoons I’ll do anything from curling up with a great book (reading: what a novelty for me!), to hopping in the car and exploring the island. The bugs (which you’ll read about in a future post) get really bad at sunset, so I’m usually inside shortly after 5pm, cooking a lovely meal with fresh topical ingredients, then settling in to watch a movie or some tv shows on my laptop, capping of the night with a few more pages from my book. 

A few nights a week, I might also head out for happy hour drinks at a scenic marina with a friend, or enjoy some “liming” around a barbecue. (Don’t know what “liming” is? Stay tuned. You will).

All in all, it’s a charmed life! Dengue fever and other buggy issues aside, I feel like I’ve stumbled onto one of the best house-sitting gigs I’ve ever had.

Here are my latest words of wisdom, including a profile interview I did for a very interesting e-book that has given (even) me a few ideas for how to travel creatively and inexpensively.

Wise Bread

The Two Biggest Mistakes People Make When Starting to Live Frugally

In your new excitement to live frugally, it’s important to avoid the pitfalls that might end up costing you more money in the end.

Transitions Abroad

Taking the Train Through Australia

This article was (poetically) written during my stint on the Trans-Manchurian train, almost a year after my Australian train adventures – which ultimately inspired my involvement in the Ultimate Train Challenge.

Taking the train through Australia is an idyllic way to experience the vast countryside, watch the changing (and at times the monotony of unchanging) scenery, while enjoying views of the flora and fauna that reside only in this bizarre country of extremes. Fortunately, there are options for people of many backgrounds and budgets who make use of Australia’s rail system to experience these world-class multi-day rail journeys. Read on to find out more!

Care One

Finding Money (Literally) With the Prosperity Game

Why do good things happen to people with sunny dispositions (alternately, bad luck plagues those already under the weather)? This may not be a coincidence.

What if by playing a simple game for three weeks you could literally attract money into your life? Would you try it? Introducing: The Prosperity Game.

Profiles & Shout-Outs

Sarah Von Bargen of Yes and Yes wrote an e-book called The Cubicle Escape Plan, which interviews a number of people who have escaped the cubicle to travel and live in creative ways. Not all of the profiles involve traveling either; different ways to escape the cubicle and make a living without leaving home include doing movie extra work, and even donating eggs. More travel-centric creative ways to escape the cubicle include volunteering (anything from Peace Corps to WWOOFing to House-sitting) to earning money (working as an au-pair or doing harvesting/planting jobs or working on cruise ships), and beyond. This book includes lots of interviews with interesting people living and traveling in creative ways that even I hadn’t considered (but will now)! I was interviewed for my experience with House-sitting. Check out the book if you’re looking for some refreshing ideas of new things to shake up your life and cubicle-bound routine!

The Cubicle Escape Plan

Lastly, Women’s Adventure Magazine interviewed me about traveling solo as a woman, discussing matters etherial like the feeling of empowerment women get from traveling on their own, to matters practical like covering all your bases in the event of an emergency. You can see the article on page 20 and 21 of the Winter 2011/2012 issue, below.
Women’s Adventure Magazine, Winter 2011/2012

My first two weeks in Grenada weren’t without their challenges, and proved to be a test of faith, strength, and endurance – both physical and emotional.

Shortly after arriving and ending things with the Swedish Squeeze, I came down with Dengue Fever, and spent the following week in a fevered delirium that elevated even the basic tasks of self-care to near-impossible levels.
But the illness – along with the heartbreak – has passed, and now my third week here in the Caribbean feels like my first. I’m slowly exploring the island as I regain my strength, checking out the lush vegetation, crystal waters, and tropical fruits I’ve missed since living in Hawaii.

Despite being flat on my back, I’ve had some recent publications, including some useful tips to improve your body language, a big list of things to be happy about (ironically written in the throes of Dengue Fever), tips for volunteering in Australasia, and some tips to stay on budget while traveling. Enjoy!

Wise Bread

You Are What You Do: 16 Ways to Improve Your Body Language

Communication goes far beyond what you say. Here are 16 ways to improve your body language – and hence your communication skills.

Big List of Things to be Happy About

Need something to be happy about? Yeah, me too. Here’s a big list of things to be happy about to get you started.

Transitions Abroad

Volunteering in Australasia

This article looks at the volunteer climate and opportunities in Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands), as well as how and where volunteers can find jobs and be of best service.

Care One

10 Ways to Stay on Budget While Traveling

We obviously don’t want to deprive ourselves of a cultural or otherwise special experience abroad, but we also don’t want to return home with the worst souvenir of all: debt we can’t afford. Here are 10 ways to stay on budget while traveling, without sacrificing the experience itself.

Taking time to Smell the flowers in Grenada

After finishing the Ultimate Train Challenge in Saigon, I had the good fortune to land at the Thien Thao Hotel for just over a week to recover. I loved this place; away from the over-priced over-filled tourist district rife with touts, and instead nestled in a thriving area with a more local feel and appeal. The kind owner took us around to some areas of Saigon where foreigners are so uncommon they’re a downright novelty – a great experience we couldn’t otherwise have had on our own.

But before I was truly ready to leave Saigon and Vietnam, a pressing date with a plane pulled me away. In fact, it was three planes – across two continents and an ocean – that delivered me to my new home in Grenada, where I’ll be house-sitting for the next three months.

I’m already loving the people, the weather, the atmosphere, and the accommodation. It’s perfect, and I’m quickly getting into a comfortable pace of life here.

Here are my latest published articles: with some (really) creative uses for tin foil, a budgeting technique to help you stay on track, some very funny signs I spotted in Asia, and a few great articles featuring our Ultimate Train Challenge adventures.

Wise Bread

36 More Uses for Tin Foil

From hardware to household and cooking to cleaning uses, here are 36 more creative uses for tin foil; saving money and increasing productivity.

Care One

Budget Technique #99: The Envelope Method

Want an easy way to consistently stay on track with your monthly budget? All you need is a few envelopes and a little organized commitment. Here’s how.

Vagabondish

I have imparted many words of “wisdom” to the readers of Vagabondish in days of yore, but not so many so recently. However given my latest traipse through Asia, we’ve resurrected my Signposting series, since there’s just so much great material to go with in Asia. Here are a few:

Signposting: Finding Table Delicacies at McDonalds, Beijing

Signposting: Strange Eats in Hanoi, Vietnam

Profiles & Shout-Outs

While in Saigon, I met Angela and Max – a couple from Seattle who currently lives in Saigon. Angela also writes for TravelFish, and after spending the better part of a week with her, low and behold, we got a mention! Here’s her “inside scoop” about our mighty Ultimate Train Challenge finish in Saigon.

Ultimate Train Challenge Ends in Saigon

The revered travel site Boots’n'All came out with a great article profiling nine epic round-the-world adventurers on epic quests. Guess what? The Ultimate Train Challenge was one of them! Check out this article for some creative travel inspiration.

RTW Travel Themes: 9 Epic Quests to Inspire Your Trip

Glamming it up in Guilin

September has been a month of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I traveled about 25,000kms by train in just 30 days from Lisbon to Saigon, along with two other nomadic travel bloggers Jeannie Mark of Nomadic Chick, and Michael Hodson of Go See Write as part of the Ultimate Train Challenge. Stay tuned for more posts with videos, stories of adventure, and a summary of the few dozen trains that delivered me to my final destination of Saigon. I’m currently staying at Thien Thao Hotel; exploring, enjoying foot massages, haggling at markets, eating all the street food I can find, and using the (thankfully) fast internet like I haven’t had it in weeks. (Wait a minute – I haven’t)!

Despite Saigon’s chaotic nature, it is my haven for the next 10 or so days. Then, my next step in my full-time travels: I’m flying to the Caribbean island of Granada, where I’m house-sitting for three months. After the constant movement of the Ultimate Train Challenge, I’m thrilled to counterbalance it with a few months of kicking back, living on a beach, taking long walks, and getting lots of writing done. I’m even excited to get a chance to taste what boredom might be like. This should be an interesting challenge, given my ever-busy nature.

Here are my published articles from September, along with a number of profiles of my recent travel adventures, and even a new music album that has just been released – featuring six songs that I sing on!

Wise Bread

25 Ways to Be a Better Person Today

Here are 25 practical ways to be a better person today (and reap additional benefits like increased happiness, saving money, and helping the environment).

Care One

Financial Planners are Not Only for the Wealthy

Last month, we discussed 15 Things to Expect from Your Financial Planner. Now that you know what to expect, it’s time to find one. This article discusses a few things to consider.

Save Money with a Christmas Wish List

I often make mental notes of things I’d like for Christmas. It’s inevitably a host of items with varying price tags and degrees of necessity. It’s perfect for a Christmas Wish List, and alleviates the need for my benefactors to guess (often wrongly) what I’d like or need. Except, when somebody actually asks me what I want, I can’t remember one thing on my “list” – since I don’t actually have one!

This year, I’ve wised up. Starting now, I’m making a Christmas Wish List. Here’s how.

Profiles & Shout-Outs

The Hostel Life asked me to share a little story about my traveling life, and being in the throes of the Ultimate Train Challenge, it only made sense to share the catalyst for my Ultimate Train Challenge involvement. It was my Australian rail adventures, which included 11,000 kms in 11 days. Straight. Here’s the “coles notes” version of how it all went down:

Finding the End of the Down Under

Mike Sowden, who I met in England last year did a nice write-up of our Ultimate Train Challenge adventures, just before we boarded the epic Trans-Siberian journey in Moscow. Check out this fledgling site with great resources while you’re at it!

Riding the Trains from Portugal to Vietnam – the Ultimate Train Challenge

And Jodi Ettenberg, resident columnist for Hipmunk, also had a few things to say about the Ultimate Train Challenge. Thanks, Jodi!

Ultimate Train Challenge – Lisbon to Saigon

Last but not least, I’m thrilled to announce that Cybiont has released his latest album, on which I sing on six tracks. You can listen to the album (and if you like it, buy/download it for $12) at the link below.

Cybiont: So Much Work For Love

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in Sweden, first wandering the streets of Stockholm, then staying with my “Swedish Squeeze’s” family in Örnsköldsvik – about 2/3 up the East coast of Sweden. It’s not a big place, nor much of a tourist destination, and my Squeeze’s family doesn’t really speak English. It has been quite an adventure!

It has been a while since I’ve been in a country where I can’t speak more than a couple of words of the native language and am surrounded by people who don’t speak much if any English. It’s amazing how much you can get out of a conversation if you use all your senses and concentrate (but it’s also very tiring)! Stay tuned for some posts about my northern Swedish adventures, including trying the controversial Swedish delicacy: Surstromming.

Right now I’m in Lisbon Portugal, and boarding my first train of many (many!) trains that will eventually deliver me to Saigon by the end of the month. Myself and the other Ultimate Train Challenge participants will be live blogging as much as possible, so you can follow us at the Ultimate Train Challenge website, our Facebook page, or our Twitter stream. And of course – stay tuned to this site and my own Facebook page and Twitter stream too! 

Care One

15 Things to Expect From Your Financial Planner

What should your financial planner do for you? With multiple designations, very little consistency across the industry, and stories of malpractice, choosing – and trusting – a financial planner can be difficult. Here are 15 things to expect from your financial planner.

Profiles & Shout-Outs

The “original” Vagabonder himself, Rolf Potts, a venerable travel writer and author of the bestseller Vagabonding, profiled of my own Vagabonding adventures and ideas.

Vagabonding Case Study: Nora Dunn