Once considered a cult pastime, video games have grown immensely in the last 40 years to become a mainstream fixture alongside movies and music.
But you wouldn’t know it by how often players finish their games.
In fact, the attrition (or bounce rate) of video games is pretty pathetic. “What I’ve been told as a blanket expectation is that 90% of players who start your game will never see the end of it unless they watch a clip on YouTube,” says Keith Fuller, a longtime production contractor for Activision.
Like so many other peasants — and royalty for that matter — I owe much of my good fortune to luck and timing. And nothing has been more beneficial to my career than getting into blogging before it became blasé.
I’ve frequented three nude beaches across three different continents. One in California—Black’s Beach, one of the biggest nude beaches in North America. Another in Argentina—Playa Escondida, which claims to be the only legal nude beach in the country. And one in Spain—Playa Morena, in a nation with no shortage of nude beaches.
After each and every visit, one truth became glaringly apparent: “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” Contrary to what you might assume, nude beach goers aren’t known for their youthfulness, physical fitness, or modelesque bodies. In my limited exposure, patrons are mostly older, often overweight, not particularly well-endowed. But they are always incredibly tan and clearly stopped caring long ago what people think.
There was one notable exception to this observation. In Argentina, I was gearing up to drop my pants, when an incredibly lithe and sunkissed American in his late 20s, rocking brunette dreadlocks touching his buttocks, raced past me with—I kid you not—two blonde beauties on either side of him. Continue reading…
My latest for Marriott Traveler: “If you want to get the most from your vacation, off-season travel is the way to go. Also known as “low season” travel, this trip-planning hack can help you avoid the high travel rates, low (or no) availability, long lines and bigger crowds associated with “peak” or high season.” Continue reading…
Over the last decade, I’ve written and published hundreds of travel stories for CNN, National Geographic, USA Today, LA Times, Washington Post, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Expedia, Orbitz, Frommers, and Travel Weekly. For the same period, I was the weekly travel columnist for Paste Magazine, which took me to all 7 continents, over 50 countries, an equal number of national parks, and hundreds of cities.
For recent clippings, click here. For some of my personal favorites, take these:
Chris Guillebeau of Portland, Oregon never intended to travel to all 193 officially recognized countries in the world—at least not originally. But 11 years and an estimated $130,000 later, he did.
The accomplishment is eye-opening. It’s also incredibly rare. Although there are no records for number of people to have visited every country, it’s safe to say that Guillebeau, a best-selling author and explorer, is in extremely limited company.
“I worked as an aid worker in West Africa for several years and became comfortable traveling in challenging environments,” Guillebeau says. “So when I came back to the U.S., I set a goal of visiting 100 countries.”
As he neared completion of that first goal, however, Guillebeau realized it was easier (and cheaper) than he expected. “So then I decided to go for all 193 by my 35th birthday,” he says, which was eight years away at the time.
What drove him to such a logistical, expensive, and time-consuming undertaking? “The ability to overcome a challenge,” he answers. “The sense that if I failed I’d be disappointed, but if I didn’t attempt I would deeply regret,” he adds.
The phrase, “Golf can be learned in an afternoon,” has never been said. Not once. Ever. For most people, the game truly requires a lifetime to master.
There are some things you can do, however, to tip the scales in your favor when playing an opponent. Some of them are obvious—more helpful reminders than anything. But others less so. Either way, all will have a positive effect on the outcome of your next round.
So after years of research — and by that I really mean a single afternoon of thinking really hard about it — I give you the best eight ways of beating someone at golf: Continue reading…
In recent years, the queues to board commercial airplanes have gotten noticeably longer, chaotic, and sometimes testy. This is largely due to increasingly restrictive bag policies and sold out planes, which inadvertently encourage more passengers to board as early as possible to ensure their place on the plane.
Understandably, this causes a lot more gate stress for all involved, from economy passengers and gate agents, to first class fliers and anyone heading to a different gate. Is there a better way?
The answer is an enthusiastic “Yes!” according to the many self-proclaimed “Final Call” fliers I recently spoke to; the seemingly brave but still confirmed passengers who wait until “all rows have been called” and the lines have vanished before boarding. Better yet, all those I spoke to reported that neither their bags nor themselves had never been left behind, so long as they arrived at the gate at least 30 minutes early.
In other words, you don’t have to wait in line to confirm your place (or your bag’s place) on a plane. In fact, the pros of delayed boarding far outweigh the cons, according to those I spoke to. This is what you can expect while doing so. Continue reading…
Want to be a better traveler? Consider adopting these good habits before your next trip, and take your travel game to the next level. Continue reading…
That’s the reason it’s difficult for many individuals to leave the internet—even for as little as a few hours in the evening, over a weekend, or on vacation. In short, the internet makes us feel like kings.
“Bring me this,” I demand, and it does. “More!” I say. It complies. “Still more!” It does not disappoint. “Let me watch, this, that, and the other.” Each time, I ask, it delivers, because it’s endless. When I run out of requests, I move to new subjects and interests.
In the event the internet is unable to supply what we ask of it—say, a physical experience, creation, or sensation—it will simulate that experience as often as we like from all possible angles: videos, photos, secondhand observations and reviews by those who have actually experienced what we’re after.
As you can see, the internet offers power, or at least the illusion of it. That’s the real reason the internet is so addicting. For the first time in human history, everyday people can convincingly simulate the experience of kings and exercise dominion over their own fantasized corner of reality. Continue reading…
I can tell you the exact moment snowboarding became cool. It was in 1985 when James Bond fastened helicopter shrapnel to his feet and rode down a mountain on a makeshift snowboard while a bunch of goons on skis struggled to keep up.
I can also tell you the exact moment it became uncool—at least in my world. While discussing the upcoming winter season recently with two millennials, I doubted my age after both of them grew up skiing since, “snowboarding is what my old man does.”
“If I still snowboard, does that make me an old man?” I asked myself. Continue reading…
Hope you enjoy my first story for the Washington Post: “That’s all you packed?” my fellow hiker asked, looking at me in disbelief.
“We were just about to start a four-day, 50-mile hike along the Jordan Trail into Petra. And I had carried only a single fanny pack across the Atlantic Ocean for my first week in the Middle East.
“At 10 liters, my Bergans “hip” or “waist” pack is the biggest money can buy. But it’s still only half the size of a small backpack. How is it possible to travel so far with so few possessions? And why on Earth would anyone do that?”
FORT LAUDERDALE—Celebrity Cruises look different, taste different, sail different, and value things that other cruises lack, like “all included” packages, plus ship layouts and guest rooms that feel more like a spacious resort than cramped passenger ship.
They are not the funnest ships on the high seas—nor the biggest or family-friendliest. But they are the most relaxing, delicious, and healthy ships sailing today. And thanks to incentivized fares that are only slightly higher than its competitors, Celebrity is also a “best buy” in cruising, despite their premium digs.
The recently launched Celebrity Ascent is the embodiment of this approach. Built for nearly a billion dollars, the 1,000 foot, 3200 passenger vessel doubles down on what its three older “Edge Series” siblings do so well. It’s 20% more fuel efficient, which is good for the planet. And it serves a greater variety of global cuisines, fanciful restaurants, and fresh produce than others, which is good for the belly.
On the inaugural christening last month, my daughter and I boarded the Ascent in less than five minutes, while armed with Celebrity’s snazzy app. We then devoured two charcuterie plates, a wholesome salad, and washed it all down with a pretentious Pellegrino from the Ocean View buffet, which seriously gives Vegas buffets a run for their money. Not exactly. But close.
Wild elephants walking a road in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park (Khunkay/Wikimedia)
(ENTREPRENEUR)—Is it easier for extroverts to travel than it is for introverts? Can travel be learned? If so, what does it take to overcome the fear, anxiety, and logistical challenges often associated with long-distance travel?
In search of answers, I asked several seasoned tourists and travel converts for their stories and advice. This is what I found.
First, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. People that travel as children are far more likely to travel as a adults. “Thanks to my parents, I started traveling when I was young,” says Avery Blank, an avid international traveler and strategy consultant from Philadelphia. “That made it relatively easy for me now to adapt to new cultures, surroundings, ways of doing things.”
Obviously if you were raised by homebodies, you’re at an immediate disadvantage. But so are risk-averse individuals who are particularly scared of the unknown, of which there are substantial amounts of when traveling to a new place with new customs and sometimes new languages.
“Much of the anxiety arising from travel revolves around being infantilized,” says Sheridan Becker, an American art director living in Belgium. “For example, not knowing how to do anything in a foreign language, asking for a bathroom, what to do if you lose your wallet, where your next meal will come from (and will you be able to stomach it), or how to handle medical emergencies.”
These are all disorienting questions, the fear of which keeps many people away. So extroverts don’t necessarily have an easier time traveling than less outgoing individuals. Rather, it’s more about how you were raised coupled with a willingness to try unexpected things that determine your propensity for travel.
The good news is wanderlust can be learned. Here are six ways to do just that. Continue reading…
I didn’t notice the duration until after I booked my airfare.
Total flight time from Salt Lake City to Durban, South Africa: an intimidating 22 hours—just under a full day. And that doesn’t include the 7-hour layover at two different airports. Nor the three additional hours of airtime on the return flight (because trade winds).
Gulp.
The longest nonstop I will take on this trip—New York to Johannesburg—lasts 16 hours and 27 minutes. It won’t be as long as the record-setting 18-hour-and-50-minute doozy from Singapore to New York, but it’s close. And it may make you wonder, why would anyone do that to themselves?
If I’m going to go on a life-changing safari, I’ve gotta get my hands dirty, right!? So I do it—I book the flight. After processing the sheer amount of time I’ll spend in the air, however, I mistakenly think my past experience on 10-plus hour flights will make this long-hauler a piece of cake.
I am wrong. Hour 12, I learn, is like hitting “the wall” in a marathon, and at that point I’ll still have five more hours to go. Someone get me outta here! In fact, the latter half of the flight will feel like a slow-motion time warp. Zombie-land in a flying metal tube, and I’m the zombie.
Sounds nice, right? For anyone planning on taking a similar “ultra long-haul”—any flight greater than 16 hours—here’s a psychological run-down of what to expect, plus tips and tricks to maintain your sanity. Continue reading…
In 2007, an international body polled more than 100 million people to name their favorite, man-made monument from a list of 200 nominees. After all the votes were counted, these were named the winners—aka the “New 7 Wonders of the World.” I’ve visited four so far and hope to see the others soon. Until then, here’s a summary of each.
Jimmy Buffett once sang, “Changes in latitudes change attitudes.” I mostly agree, although I’d include longitudes in the lyric if it rhymed. Here’s why.
Once while rafting through the Costa Rican jungle on the beautiful Pacuare River, my group rested halfway at this extraordinary lodge. On arrival, I beelined to the first hammock I saw overlooking the area. While swaying to and fro, I watched and heard the top-rated river do its thing. Enveloped in greenery, I spotted a hanging bridge off in the distance.
I’m rafting in the freaking jungle, I said to myself, not believing my luck. Moments later, my guide approached and commented on the impressive view as she had probably done a hundred times before. She asked where I was from. “Utah,” I replied, which excited her. “I just returned from Arches and Canyonlands National Park two weeks ago!” she exclaimed. “I can’t wait to return to Zion and Bryce next year.”
Oh, the irony, I thought. The grass is always greener. Or in the case of my Costa Rican guide, the red rock desert is sometimes more appealing than the lush, green and mountainous rainforest I was enjoying at that very moment.
Green—Ireland’s been doing it since well before it was a buzzword. And not just for one day each spring in celebration of its patron saint. “In Ireland, everyday is bathed in green,” asserts the country’s visitor’s bureau. That’s no exaggeration. Thanks to heavy precipitation and its mild climate (caused by warming ocean currents), The Emerald Isle is a scientific fact.
It’s also a popular place to visit. When considering a trip to this photogenic and evergreen beauty, forget luck and consider these worthy itinerary entries. Continue reading…
My latest for Paste Magazine: “You need three primary ingredients to really see the Northern Lights: Proximity to the North Pole, maximum darkness, and clear skies. Fairbanks, Alaska has all three and more, making it one of the best places in America (if not world) to see the elusive Aurora Borealis.
“But Fairbanks features a lot more than just shimmering ribbons of light swathing across the northern night sky. On a recent bucket list trip with my wife, I braved the coldest city in America to delight in dog sledding, hot springing, arctic snowmobiling, and even reindeer walking.
“Before following suit, here’s what you need to know.” Continue reading…
My latest for Paste: “Sometimes a country is more defined by what it doesn’t have than what it does. Nicaragua is one of those countries.
“While it doesn’t have the shiny amenities, rave reputation, and tourism machine needed to attract a high volume of visitors, Nicaragua also doesn’t have the crowds, beaten paths, and routine experiences you’ll increasingly find elsewhere. Instead, it is refreshingly undeveloped. Because of this, Nicaragua is notably more affordable when compared to other Central American hot spots (including neighboring Costa Rica, which it definitely resembles).“
My latest for Paste: “How might travel change this year? Where are people going this year? And how can you save a buck on your next trip while moving about the planet?
“To find out, the folks at Expedia, the world’s largest travel company, surveyed 2000 people and paired their responses with the most recent booking data. Although not a foolproof way to predict the future, this approach offers an inside look at the purchasing behavior and changing tastes of travelers.
“According to the data, this is what we’re in for this year.” Continue reading…
My new single, Fancy Hotel, released today on all major music stores: Spotify, Apple, Amazon, YouTube Music, YouTube, and more. It’s the lead single from my forthcoming third album, out later this year.
I wrote the song in the same hotel room I photographed for the cover art, while on assignment for Paste Magazine in Spain. It’s one of the darkest songs I’ve ever written. But since my optimistic self was the one writing it, the chorus is actually super uplifting. So I’m proud of the mixed feelings it captures, something all of us experience in our own headspace.
I’m also proud of the cover art, which is equally dark. But light is still beaming through the windows. Because there’s always hope. Lyrics after the break. Continue reading…
My latest for Paste Magazine: “It took a minute, but cruising is back. Although most liners halted their sailings over the last couple of years, all ships are now full steam ahead.
“The same is true of Celebrity Apex, the best-rated, recently launched ship from the ocean’s top-rated cruise line, according to passenger reviews. After being christened just before the pandemic, Apex basically sat unused for the better part of two years, before settling into its current Caribbean itinerary last fall.
“The week before Christmas, my family boarded Apex in fantastic Fort Lauderdale for a week of all-you-can-eat fun, island hopping (e.g. Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman), and sunny relaxation. Here’s what we liked most about the ship.”
My latest for Paste: “Since yearly records first began in the 1960s, no other continent welcomes more traveling Americans than Europe. Roughly half the size of the US with almost an equal number of countries as we have states, Europe is a convenient, safe, and diverse way to expose yourself to a lot of foreign cultures (and languages) in a short amount of time.
Thanks to a strong dollar, Europe is also a lot more affordable now than it’s traditionally been. As with all continents, however, Europe does a lot of things differently than we do here at home. Whether you’ve visited before or are planning your first transatlantic visit this year, here are some of the bigger dissimilarities you need to understand.”
It doesn’t make any sense. I’m looking at the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited on six different continents. That city, Rio de Janeiro, is a masterpiece of God, Mother Nature, or whatever force created it. Its lush mountains and iconic beaches are the crown jewel of Brazil, a country that includes two “Wonders of the World,” the world’s largest rainforest, and more natural and cultural diversity than any other country in Latin America.
Despite this, Brazil doesn’t even crack the list of the top 50 most-visited countries in the world. Continue reading…
My latest for Paste Magazine: After years of traveling, not once have I heard the following: “I love Madrid!” A quick Google search confirms this consensus; the Spanish capital is notably absent from most “Europe’s best cities to visit” lists. In the two instances it was, the unassuming city barely cracked the top 40.
That’s not to say Madrid isn’t a great city. It’s rich, ornate, bright, pedestrian-friendly, and filled with some of the warmest locals and food on the continent. But not all great cities double as desirable tourist destinations.
Does Madrid? To find out, the generous folks at Land Rover recently invited me to drive their new electric Range Rovers through the city’s scenery, in between some of the top sights, and even on some outskirt off-road terrain. This is what I learned.
My latest for Paste Magazine: I recently read a quote that said, “I don’t want to leave vacation without knowing anything about the destination.” The implication was that travelers have some sort of moral responsibility to learn about the places they visit.
This rubbed me the wrong way. I say that as a lifelong student who usually devours foreign customs, culture, and ways of life while traveling. But sometimes you don’t want to do anything on vacation, and that’s totally okay. Sometimes you just want a break from daily routines, schedules, tasking, and commitments, and that’s wholly appropriate.
Whether you travel a lot or not, sometimes it’s refreshing to do absolutely nothing on vacation. No sightseeing. No local cooking classes. Just rest and relaxation. After a year of travel at nearly pre-pandemic levels, that’s exactly how I felt on a recent family holiday to Newport Beach, California.
The author at Badlands National Park (courtesy Lindsey Snow)
My latest for Paste Magazine: America invented the national park when it made Yellowstone the world’s first in 1873, introducing the idea that “extraordinary” land should be protected from public development and preserved for future generations. After visiting half of the country’s 63 National Parks, it’s obvious some are better than others. A handful of recent ones (Cuyahoga Valley, Indiana Dunes) seem downright ordinary, if not political, when compared to less prestigious but clearly superior state parks like Na Pali or Custer.
With nine total, California has the most National Parks, followed by Alaska with eight, and Utah with five. In fact, the western United States is home to over 80% of National Parks, even though just a quarter of the population lives there. This explains why The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee welcomes the most visitors, over 14 million annually, compared to Zion’s 5 million, the second most.
Wherever you go, if you only see 20 in your lifetime, make it these icons. Continue reading…
This thought came to my mind only moments before my first leap from the edge of a seaside cliff in Ireland. The fall was no more than six feet. But the swelling sea was angry, frothy, and splashing to and fro. Despite my mega-sized life vest, double wetsuit, protective gloves, and helmet, this massive tide pool surrounded by skin-cutting rock on all but one side looked like it would swallow me whole.
“Jump!” my expert guide commanded. Like many of you, I’ve been told to respect the ocean my entire life. Now some self-proclaimed authority was telling me to plunge into the worst of it. All in all, the conditions couldn’t have been any less inviting.
But like all good lemmings, I disregarded my instincts, trusted my equipment, and accepted the advice of my convincing leader. I jumped.
My latest for Expedia: “Everybody’s heard of haunted houses, but haunted National Parks? Surprisingly, these green, tranquil spaces are also often backdrops for gruesome ghost sightings and other petrifying paranormal activity. And we’re not talking about one-off stories or urban (or in this case, rural) legends. All of the below top the list of the most “haunted” National Parks in the United States – places with an unexpected dark side. We dare you to hike alone.”
My latest for Paste: I am drawn to canyons. Like the ocean, they make me feel small. Unlike the ocean, they show their age and literally wear their scars on their sleeves. This, of course, makes them who they are. But it also makes them interesting. So I travel to canyons a lot.
On a recent holiday weekend, I hauled my family to two of America’s most popular canyons—Grand Canyon in Arizona and Zion Canyon in Utah. Given the rugged terrain, it’s smart to come prepared for more off-road conditions (I drove a Kia Telluride during our trip).
Transportation aside, these two massive canyons are only separated by a two-hour scenic drive, which makes them great for pairing. Before planning a similar getaway, here’s what you need to know. Continue reading…
The “king complex.”
