Nomadderwhere on the Black Informant Podcast

I'm such a sorry case for a writer that I'm actually stalling the publication of a post on how I haven't written anything in a while! 2011 for Nomadderwhere is a Catch 22 kind of year. If that's not clear, then stick around for the explanation coming whenever I get my act together. In the meantime, my interview with the Black Informant found its way onto the internet for your listening pleasure! Prior to this, I'd never done a radio interview before. I thought for sure my charming stutter would shine through, but it turns out radio is just about the easiest kind of interview there is (aside from letting the publicist type your answers while you're busy getting a pedicure and playing Xbox, so I would imagine).

In this podcast, Duane Brayboy and I discuss:

the genesis of my travel obsession.
how travel transformed my personality, my learning, and the way I expressed myself.
storytelling and the power of descriptive detail with words, photos, or video.
documentary and editorial photography while on the road.
the most meaningful photographs I've ever taken.
impressions of Haiti and the apocalyptic media uproar.
where to next.

I enjoyed chatting with Duane and also hope this little update post whips me back into content cranking gear.

What did you think of the podcast? Now, I didn't do this interview just to hear myself talk. Please do share your own insight on what we discussed: Haiti's media coverage, your own travel obsession genesis, the most meaningful photos you've taken, and anything else.

Piecing Together an Understanding of Haiti Today

This weekend came and went, and I never left my couch. My camera bag - meticulously packed for three hectic days across three cities - lies useless on the bedroom floor; memory cards untouched and road snacks un-nibbled. For the second time in a row, our assignment in Haiti has been postponed due to civil unrest and political instability. I don't really know what's going on there at the moment, and with the one-track mind of sensationalist mass media focused solely on Egypt (and the Super Bowl, I guess), I'm finding it hard to understand this new situation, which has red alerts and closings already resulting from the anticipated nation-wide chaos.

Mentally Preparing for Haiti on the Earthquake Anniversary

With every assignment, my job is gaining more meaning and thrill, becoming increasing moving and educative. From researching Frida Kahlo to cutting videos on Nelson Mandela, I've been diving further into pivotal, global issues. And though - technically - our upcoming trip to Haiti is a freelance assignment to document a medical non-profit, I'm going in the capacity of a filmmaker and an indirect educator. For the past month, I've been taking in knowledge of old Saint-Domingue like a sponge, and I'm hoping to include you, my ever-enlightening audience, in this pursuit of awareness.

Indy to NYC: The Unnervingly Seamless Transition

I am 26 days fresh in New York City. Already recovered from the lower back strains of poorly lifting a 65 lb. military trunk, I'm finding real comfort in the room that houses my first purchased mattress and this neighborhood that seems to defy the modern-day NYC paradigms. As enjoyable as this month-long transition has been - and as dedicated as I am to making this city mine - I still feel in transit, and this feeling seems potentially eternal.

Why I Moved to New York City

Composing somewhere around 30,000 feet, I'm completely immersed in the inevitable pool of realization. After a childhood in rural Indiana, an academic pilgrimage throughout the state, and 50 countries of exploration later, I'm finally settling on my first independent living situation.

I chose out of a sea of laudable contenders a city that for years seemed too self-praising for my tastes. I've never encountered anyone who feels as conflicted about New York City's energy as me, but emerging from the self-made pit of doubt and prejudice, I came to the exciting conclusion that this massive metropolis is where I'm supposed to be. It's safe to say I no longer roll my eyes at the "cool girl" city in the classroom of America.

Moving to NYC

I'm moving my home base. I actually have an apartment in New York City. Did any of you ever thought this would happen?

In case this simple video update doesn't give you all the answers you need, I'll fill you in from the plane ride over.

Welcome to the New Nomadderwhere!

Last year, my site took on a major change - from a free little ditty, dark and unappealing, to a self-hosted site, clean and click-worthy. Today is the start of another new beginning, a switch from a travel blog to something more than tips and stories. Though I'm still available and happy to answer questions about traveling as a young lad or lass, I'm much more interested in discussing angles on travel of a conceptual nature. Confusing, yes. Explanation follows.

My passion for travel comes from an interest in the concept itself. Why do we travel? When are we actually traveling? What is it we seek to learn when we move about this earth or move about our own understanding of this earth? Ya know...stuff like that. And so, I've decided to develop a new site format that accentuates these approaches to travel while also bringing more attention to my archives, on which I've invested much time.

What's New

The Navigation: Instead of highlighting my individual big travel experiences (a.k.a. Semester at Sea, World Traveler Internship, etc.), this navigation brings the focus to the different styles of posts I crank out.

Art + Travel are my artistic attempts to express travel sentiment with video, photo essays, or prose and poetry. And with a tagline like "Capturing the Art of Travel," I wanted to make sure you, the reader, can easily find my own gatherings in this quest.
Conceptual Travel posts bring up "whys" and "what ifs" in the travel realm. These stand to really challenge your own understanding of your nomadic nature.
Info + Advice is to make sure I'm still offering the tidbits of information many of you seek, including Q&As, Street Smarts, and updates on the world of travel and its community.
World Narratives presents the backbone of Nomadderwhere, the narratives from the road. It is here that you can still follow along vicariously to my big journeys around the world.

First Timer's Guide: Many of you are new to the site daily. In an attempt to spell my site out for the new reader, I've made a sum-up document, downloadable and descriptive of my favorite postings and why I have a blog.

Layout: Fewer static pages featured, fewer distractions, more focus on the content - that's the purpose behind the redesign. Now that my job allows me to fulfill interests like video-making and writing centered on travel, doubling up on that sort of work load is difficult for me. Maintaining Nomadderwhere with the same amount of content and quality as I did before has been nearly impossible. Therefore, the new layout is aimed at letting me accentuate the work I've done up to this point rather than highlighting only the most recent and making you wait for the next morsel of content.

Schedule: There will be no more extensive weekly schedule of postings but rather various quality work posted when it's ready.

Changes to Expect

No more Photos of the Day. All my images can be found on my Flickr account.
Fewer featured Videos of the Week. Those that will be published will be dictated by inspiration, not the sun cycle.
Written posts ranging from narrative to conceptual to artistic to practical on a regular basis.

Please feel free to tell me your thoughts on the redesign and the new direction of Nomadderwhere. Contact me or send a video, and I'll be happy to listen and respond.

Thanks for visiting, following, and contributing to Nomadderwhere and celebrating its second massive redesign!

A Flattering Interview with PolyRepublic

Beti from PolyRepublic launched her new website this week, and I'm thrilled to be one of her first profiles.

Poly Republic’s mission statement is to celebrate women who are daring enough to try to change the world or carve out a place for themselves in it.

Check out the full profile by clicking the image below.

Video of the Week: Seclusion Musings (Webcam)

After one successful week of relative seclusion in northern Indiana, I've got some thoughts to share - musings, if you will. Your feedback is strongly encouraged.

Notes from this week's video:

Musing #1: Reinvention
- Have you ever become a person you don't recognize?
- Do you take advantage of the easy opportunity for reinvention when traveling?
Musing #2: Anonymity
- How does your anonymous presence on the road affect your attitude, behavior, mind, etc.?
- Have you experienced the overfamiliarity of the small town or close-knit region? How does this change your state of mind or activity?
Musing #3: Constant Travel
- Is re-experiencing your own town/city as valuable a teaching opportunity as perusing a new place in another country?
- If home travel is considered "travel," where is the line drawn between travel and not? What differentiates the two?

Video of the Week: Summer Seclusion Project (Webcam)

Haven't seen one of these in a while, huh? A video of the week or a webcam special. I finally got my act together! Enjoy.

Notes from this week's video:

ProjectExplorer.org is in post-production stateside after a fantastic filming session in Mexico.
I'm moving out of my parent's house for a month for some seclusion in my hometown.
I have four goals for the month of July.
Crank out stellar videos, images, and work for ProjectExplorer.org
Write personal travel narratives in hopes of publishing or at least having them for myself.
Learn how to cook basic vegetarian meals well. I don't know how veggies are supposed to taste. Sad.
Enjoy my hometown for the first summer in a decade and reap the benefits of relative seclusion from distraction.
It's time to reformat/redesign Nomadderwhere, just like I did last September. A lot has changed in my life and path, and my website needs to reflect that.

Update from Oaxaca

Busyness, people. This production schedule is mad with work, and during any off time from outings and filming, we're making new quick trip videos, publishing photography, researching the next experience, having photo shoots, and looking for food to sustain our laborious efforts. The past week was spent in the crazy comfort of Casa Oaxaca, a beautiful hotel with only seven rooms and food service by a celebrity chef, only available to the hotel guests. The staff was pleasantly accommodating, and the breakfasts, dinners, and desserts had us thoroughly high on life. And that was just our lodging and food.

Our guide and driver for the week was the premier Oaxacan tour guide, Diego, who knew virtually everyone and helped us understand the facts and receive access to the locations in need of filming. Hilarity laced every outing with him. It was a fantastic week.

Since I last posted our experiences, we witnessed the creation of many artistic wares using age-old traditions and previously unseen techniques. Doña Rosa burnished black pottery, while spinning everything on two concave plates stacked bottom on bottom. Meanwhile, another group of artisans carved wooden figurines and decorated them with elaborate and tiny detailing. Oaxaca is a place for creators to be inspired.

Sticking with the creation thread, we also were exposed to the brilliant culinary world of Mexico's culinary capital, thanks to our host Alejandro Ruiz - renowned chef of traditional Oaxacan food with innovation. He surprised us with his enthusiasm to assist our efforts in many capacities, and boy was he ever spunky.

Paper making, weaving and painting, chocolate concocting, and some history here and there - we had one packed week. Fret not, for photoblogs are to come. We're now in Merida (Yucatan) and weathering 100% humidity on top of high heat and logistical issues. Nothing we can't handle, though. Follow the real-time tweets and await some stunning visuals and stories.

Where are we in this story?

Since I embarked on December 1st to develop The Nakavika Project, I've been quite inconsistent with my written postings, even though they've all published as frequently as expected. For those of you waiting to hear so much that we've left uncovered, I've got some 'splaining to do. Starting off with action inspired by Chris Guillebeau's ebook, I moved on to recount the experiences of our first steps in Fiji. Getting up to Nakavika was a full day adventure that ended poetically, while the next days involved village logistics and the acceptance of our mission.

Once we were established in the Highlands, we started getting comfortable, going swimming daily with the kids, watching shocking swine slaughterings, assimilating with our demographic, and becoming members of our host family and community. Within one week of traveling to the interior, Garrett and I journeyed back down to Suva for an internet run and returned one day later to a cyclone experience neither of us will ever let mentally slip away.

But I let my writings slip from that moment on.

I lost track of writing as the cyclone threatened our water source and made showering, drinking water, cooking food, washing clothes and even swimming more difficult and time-consuming. The road washed away at Namando, making it difficult for the diesel to reach Nakavika and power the generator that juiced my laptop's empty battery. Our housing situation became sticky and riddled with unknowns and inconveniences. We planned our escape to recuperate from multiple bacterial infections.

And I let my excuses eat away at my writing muse.

Instead of catching up with an explanation of our trip to Suva and Cyclone Mick, I jumped around to speaking Fijian and matters of global citizenship. I discussed the scattered happenings of our project classes with not only the kids but the youth and adults as well.

So what's the plan?

Chronology be damned, I'm going to tell you the whole scoop eventually, excluding the dirty details, which are for us to know and you to ponder about endlessly. Starting this Friday, I'll fill you in on the occurrences of my mini-vacation in Fiji prior to flying home on Valentine's Day - then I'll tap into the stories of my inland adventure.

After officially leaving the village on the 1st of February and parting ways with homeward bound Garrett and Jackie, I spent some time in a coastal village outside Suva, chatted with Madventurer contact Kimbo, and took a steady, pleasant ride through the Mamanucas to the Yasawa islands. Here at Wayalailai Ecohaven, I am turning my brain off to recover from two months in a different world.

After detailing these lovely happenings, I'll return to the stories of yore…Cyclone Mick, Christmas in the village, our holiday time off and so on. By the end of these tales, you'll know more about Fijian culture and mindsets than you ever wanted to.

And finally, the status of The Nakavika Project - TNP is going underground for a few weeks to undergo some serious plastic surgery. The seemingly obvious flow of progress changed and professed a need for reevaluation. Garrett and I will be working on TNP for the next month or so, crafting it into the most successful project it has the ability of being. As could have been anticipated, our expectations were somewhat off from the project's predestination.

So prepare yourself for many more weeks of tales, starting with the most recent and then whipping back in time like Tarantino. Weekly videos will continue chronologically, somewhat, with the same level of hilarity and other-worldliness.

Please continue to comment as these are the sharpeners to my writing and blogging blade.

What is Nomadderwhere?

A nomad moves and continues to flex their idea of home and comfort. A nomad doesn't settle on one way of thinking or one surrounding. It's a lifestyle of adaptation and life-long learning.

Written in the Star

I feel incredibly privileged to be a featured person in the Indianapolis Star. After an hour long interview and photo shoot a couple months ago, this article brought me great joy with its final materialization on Sunday, also race day in Indianapolis.

I was sitting in a lawn chair, cold beer perched in my camera-case-turned-koozie, hearing Indy cars zoom behind me, when my parents forwarded the link to the piece online. Reading the whole thing while sitting there amongst the thousands of fans at an event that was integral to my WTI success (see video)...it was all so smile-inducing.

The article takes the form of a Q & A, just as the interview did. The responses, now not just in my head but in print around central Indiana, reminded me of the excitement I find in this travel game (not that I needed the memo) and why I do it.

I'm hoping to open minds, and being from a city where the travel section comes out but once a week in a small, hidden section of the paper, I hope to connect to many at home that may have the misconception of "scary, expensive travel" and not "mind-boggling, self-defining, gorgeous, inspiring, life-changing travel."

Big expectations. Big dreams. A big summer. We doin' big thangs, whodi.

Two Weeks to Go!

Guacamole of Holiness! We're leaving in the wink of a moment for the World Traveler Internship. I keep thinking back to the big phone call and that visceral awareness I had of this imminent journey. Today, it's but an idea that I cannot grasp. I keep saying this, but it's impossible to fathom how cool this experience really is! So two weeks until departure...What have I been up to?

I've been brushing up on my dance moves, perfecting such moves as the Jerri Blank, the robot, unspeakable gyrating, and much more, hopefully all culturally accepted in our future destinations.

During said dance break, I began my work on dealing with uncomfortable situations by "dealing" with the dead chipmunk my cat dragged to the threshold of the downstairs patio. Troubleshooting involved first using my tripod legs like I was Inspector Gadget to remove the dead rodent and second, successfully, with the bottoms of my flip-flops. Bucky is still lying outside my window in the garden, legs frozen in pre-spring tension (sorry for the grotesqueness, PETA).

Flexibility is key in travel, so when I had to take a detour in my plans with "bush" camping, thanks to a mild monsoon, I dealt with these changes like a pro...and regretfully returned to my "comfortable, safe, convenient" bed inside. Darn.

Had some fun with time lapse photography and a mock packing exercise. I'm still waiting to know what I'm packing...it's all up to the poll!

Since I'm still an owner of a PC (please don't giggle), STA sent me the MacBook to allow adequate familiarity with the world of Macs. Did you all know it's possible to compose your own music on something called GarageBand? And do you know how swiftly these things run? How intuitively? My mind has been iRocked.

If you pay attention to this blog at all, you've realized surely by now that I'm all about recording every moment of this pre-departure experience. Now that you've seen what I am able to produce, I'd love some feedback on what you like to hear...AND SEE! After all, I am putting myself through this rigorous experience all for the benefit of hopeful travelers like yourselves. Oh, what a burden I must bear. Ha!

A 'Cha-ching' Opportunity: Day 07

After a morning of reading the lyrical prose of the Tuscan countryside by Frances Mayes, I felt like my magic would come from cooking the best and freshest Italian meals of the season. But I experienced a moment of pure divine magic later on that made this expectation of good home cooking so miniscule in comparison. I feel somewhat compelled to explain the whole day in perfect detail, but I doubt I will really care in the long run about these pure moments that now fall completely into the background - like saving drowning moths during my first chilly swim or our big lunch of garlic frittatas and basil tortellini, surrounded by thunderstorms in the distance. No, I would rather focus my written attention to the wonderful coincidence of the day: the new job opportunity.

The patron's baby gets bored. I pick him up to bounce on my knee and prepare him for his midday meal. I get a job offer to be a live-in nanny for nine months. Sounds like a dream, no? The couple, that not only would house and feed me in exchange for child care but also encourage the start of my art career in Florence, also understands the need for travel and experience as a young adult. Is there a downside in sight? Millions of miles away among the dimmest stars? Even those distant gas balls are cheering for my Florentine nanny idea. Such a rare possibility in my mind before and now my most promising post-travel plan. The benefits of free room and board, possible local travel, beautiful surroundings in the best part of Florence, my favorite city on Earth, an awesome baby and equally great parents, free time for tutoring, learning, or just living - all amazing perks.

And to make it even more appealing for both sides, I can use July as a trial period to live this life with them and see if it works for all of us. How to make this decision...what a tough dilem--done!

Baggy-Eyed in the US of A

It is 1:40 a.m. in Indianapolis, Indiana. I have so few hours left in this house, in this state, and on this side of the globe. It's unfathomable, the intensity of these last few hours. I'm hardly nervous or even realizing what's going on.

Mom is asleep beside me, curled up like a cold little orphan girl...couldn't make it to her bed...couldn't last these last grueling hours awake before I need to be on my plane.

I said goodbye to the most darling of all feline creatures. I have no fear about her quality of life in the following seven months; I will miss dearly the fur on her nose and the feeling of her body flop onto my leg in the middle of the night. She's a big girl...she leaves quite an impression.

I feel sort of dead inside, completely emotionally exhausted from graduation day, but luckily meticulous planning for the last 18 months for this trip has provided me countless checklists, sorted piles, and firm ideas of what I need to do before the main event.

Eleven books are weighing down my day bag, a larger number than I'm even bringing in clothing options. Needless to say, I'm quite curious of where this "Big Journey" will take me.

Enjoy all of your summers and lovely fall seasons. I am off on a quest. See you in 205 days.

I Get Numb Thumbs for the Kids

Now the countdown is T minus 2 days until we get Allison buzzed and set her on the plane for the family vacation preceding the grand voyage (pronounced with a faux-french accent). New news...I make wonderful banana pancakes (Jack Johnson would be proud) for my daughters and my sicky bio-mama, I have developed a lovely case of excited insomnia, and I can sit down and make 40 beaded bracelets for little girls around the world in one day (Mom and I had a 10 hour TV marathon today, impressive I know). Yeah...I've been busy. I'm not even mentioning my anal-retentive hobby of documenting everything I pack down to a vitamin, a bobby pin, and the 200 Q-tips. I want future SASers to know EXACTLY what they need to bring in order to stop worrying about the little stuff (like packing) and prepare themselves for the big stuff (like insomnia or world travel). It's fun to type when you can't feel your fingers (deja vous of tying balloons in rush...ye-ouch).

I just want to say I miss people already. I'll never find myself singing "Ain't that America" on deck looking at the Malaysian sunset, but I sure will understand the sentiment when I miss the lovely charms of the Mid-west, B-town, and the Nap.

Please keep the e-mails coming...and chiefly include the most mundane activity of the week. That's the stuff of life.

...aaaand I'm sick again

Man, when the girls from Wabash get together, mayhem ensues. When the Colts go to the Super Bowl, I lose my voice but keep going.

But when I babysit for two kids that have me pulling my hair out, my body finally takes a beating. And now I am drinking my food through a straw while watching a Rocky marathon in my basement. Super.

The amount of time I'm spending on my packing list is astronomical. I should put these research skills on my resume. I have eight more days of this wonderful sitting and preparing before we head off on a family vacation...makes me want to soak up all the depressing Indiana atmosphere I can. Hopefully this is the last time I'm sick like this until at least late May because that would be my definition of a tragedy...bed ridden in Rio. I'm already missing my 90 roommates and that beautiful B-town landscape.

Here's to T minus 8 days.

By the way, Rocky just knocked out Clubber Lang.

T minus 21 Days

My days consist of checking the New York Times for any countries from my itinerary, watching previous SAS voyagers' videos on YouTube.com, researching trips and adventures online, and watching TV with my cat at night, soaking in the last morsels of home life before I sail away. There is no way to prepare myself for the multitude of experiences I am about to have, but in the meantime, it works to document every little finding and make the most detailed packing list a person can compile. All the most trivial points are highlighted when preparing for this trip, which oddly enough overshadow the incredible journey and the new perspective I will gain. Honestly, I am only "sort of" excited because no amount of travel plans or picture viewing can match the feeling I am going to get from standing next to a huge watercraft (even though they scare the be-jesus out of me) knowing the journey that is ahead of me.

Keeping in touch with all of you is going to be difficult, so I am going to utilize this website as a means to keep you informed. Hopefully, the upkeep of this blog and using the Internet won't be too hard, so expect documentation from each port of call unless I announce my incapability to do so. Each day of my voyage will be centered around capturing photo opportunities, whether the camera is Mom's D50 or my eye, so you can expect I will have thousands to show by day 100. However, I doubt even one picture will make it to the Internet before that final day approaches, seeing as each minute of Internet usage costs $.40 and moves at the speed of a barnacle. Don't pester me...you'll see pictures eventually. Mmkay?...ah, splendid.

16 days until the fam' departs for Nassau 21 days until Bon Voyage