You can read our previous traveler spotlight interviews here.

This week we chat with travel blogger and social media professional, Monica Wong. Monica runs her own blog at A Pair of Panties & Boxers, in which she shares her travel experiences both local and abroad. A fellow New Yorker, Monica splits her time between working a 9-7 (gasp!) and dreaming about her next destination trip. Read our interview below to find out what Monica has up her sleeves this summer, how blogging keeps her sane, and the travels that keep her inspired.

Monica Wong of A Pair of Panties & Boxers

How has 2010 treated you so far and what upcoming travel plans are you looking forward to?

2010 has been a blur. I have my good days and I have my bad days. But if I had it my way, every day would be a travel day.

I’ll be leaving for Honduras in less than two weeks so I’m pretty psyched about that. As much as I love this concrete jungle, there’s a real jungle out there waiting for me to explore.

When did the travel bug first bite you? What were your first travel experiences like?

I first got bitten by the travel bug when I studied abroad in Shanghai. So far, it’s been the highlight of my life. I took classes 4-5 days a week and traveled during the weekends. In less than 6 months, I visited 12 different cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Kaifeng, Louyang, Nanjing, Putuoshan, Qufu, Suzhou, Taishan, Wuzhen & Xi’an.

My first travel experience was a breath of fresh. I felt so alive – like a new part of me was born.

As a Chinese American, how has cultural awareness and travel affected you?

Culture isn’t what’s instilled in you. It’s what you project to the world. It isn’t a particular thing you do or celebrate. It’s a lifestyle and an outlook. It’s hard to say if cultured played a big part of my life. I’m surrounded by it every day when I come home. In a way, my culture is my life.

Do you feel growing up in New York affected your travel experiences?

Growing up in New York City is like living in a bubble. I didn’t realize it until I stepped out. Before I left for Shanghai, I thought success was defined by a corner office and a six-figure salary. I was an idiot. That’s what society defines as success – your assets. After I left my bubble, I realized that I’d only be settling if I aimed for the corner office. Instead, I want the world.

Living in New York doesn’t always make traveling easy. We have that New York state of mind. It’s always about productivity and efficiency, except when it comes to the MTA. I only have 10 vacation days, which means I can only take 2 one week long trips every year. Only TWO! That hurts.

“I used to want the corner office. Now I want the world.”

What inspires you to travel?

It doesn’t really take much to inspire me to travel. I’m inspired just by looking out the window.

You translate your passion for wanderlust into blogging. Do you think your writing and position in new media has opened doors for you?

Blogging is something to keep me sane from my 50 hour work weeks. I have a blog because I’m passionate about traveling and I like to write. New media has made it easier for me to connect with other people who share the same passion as I do. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one out there who can’t sit still.

Get inspired to travel and share your travel experiences with 28,000 Travel Geeks. Become a Sosauce travel contributor today!

What global issues are close to you and why?

Poverty – it’s the common denominator for everything that’s wrong in this world. From war to hunger; to the AIDS epidemic and everything in between, poverty is a factor in all of it. So is corruption. We can thank colonialism for that.

Students at the QiDi Migrant School in rural Shanghai

Some prefer to write, others prefer to take photos. How do you choose to recreate and share your travel memories?

I prefer to tell stories. Anyone can go to a city and a take a photo of the same statutes and write about the same sites but not everybody’s stories are the same.

When I read about other’s travels, I want it to make me feel. When I share my travel memories with others, I want them to feel the way I do. Telling them how lush and green the Amazon forest isn’t going to make them feel the way I feel if I were in the Amazon. Telling them a story about migrant children who aren’t only hungry for food but also hungry to learn might evoke some emotion.

Share your travel memories on Sosauce! Upload photos in hi-res, create trips on interactive maps, receive discounts on premium photo products, and read updates from other Travel Geeks.

What destinations have left you with the sauciest travel memories?

That’s hard to choose. They’re all oh so delicious. But If I’d have to pick one, I’d say China. I was the happiest then. Mainly because I did what I wanted (most of the time) and I went where I pleased. I was free to be me.

Photo by Jabari Bell

As a young adult dealing with school and finances, how do you incorporate travel into your life? What tips would you give other young people in similar situations?

I only get 10 vacation days a year so I split them up into 2 one-week long vacations. I take one in the spring and another in the fall. During the winter, I use the holidays for shorter getaways. With a full time job, that’s the best I can do. I do know that, for me, traveling isn’t a spectacular once in a lifetime adrenaline rush that lasts for a few months or even a year or two. It’s a lifestyle. I don’t have to do it all at once but I will be doing it for the rest of my life.

Do you consider yourself a Travel Geek?

I do. When you go to Bing.com just for the sake of looking at the scenic picture of the day, that’s when you know you’re a Travel Geek.



Thanks to Monica for chatting travel with us. Follow her as she shares her travels around the world and her travels through life at A Pair of Panties & Boxers. You can also follow her on Twitter @monica530.

Check back later this month to see what travelers we feature next on the Sosauce Travel Geek blog!

Read our previous traveler spotlights here.

This week we chatted with Jenny Buccos, co-founder of Project Explorer, a children’s travel series that has produced over 175 free online videos and multimedia materials. A true Travel Geek, Jenny has been to more than 30 countries, has worked on various award-winning programs that foster global education and support world-renowned organizations, and is in the middle of producing her fourth film series in Mexico. Read our interview below to learn more about Jenny’s passions for travel and philanthropy and how you can get inspired to make a change as well.

Jenny Buccos of Project Explorer

How has 2010 treated you so far and what upcoming travel plans are you looking forward to?

This year my passport is getting quite the workout. I’m actually writing to you while on the road from Swaziland to Maputo, Mozambique on the southeastern tip of the African continent. Last week I was in Johannesburg, South Africa to visit friends that I met in 2007. Despite the epic flight, I try to get back yearly for some quality time with my South African “family.”

Next week, I will be in Frankfurt, Germany for the first time, where I am looking forward to seeing the Chagall stained-glass windows of the Church of St. Stephan in Mainz.

Later this year, I will be heading to Mexico, and to Portugal and the Azores, to produce two new travel series for ProjectExplorer.org. There’s talk of Peru and a late-year mini getaway, too! So, pinch me, because thus far, 2010 has been a great year for travel.

When did you realize you had a passion for travel?

I’m a kid from a small town, who always dreamt of traveling. While most teenagers had posters of singers and celebrities on their walls, my room was covered with images of Paris. I wanted to be an exchange student and would frequently call airlines (before the days of internet and online airfare searches) to find out the cost of flying to Italy, or France, or England. But it wasn’t until my early twenties that I began to travel and was instantly bitten by the travel bug.

What were your first travel experiences like?

My first trips were to Greece and London. England was far easier to navigate and explore than Greece. Having never experienced different cultures it never crossed my mind to learn the basics – how to get by on a few foreign words and phrases, reading a guidebook before traveling, and brushing up on local customs. Now, I do my research before going ANYWHERE.

I really didn’t have much of a camera during my first few years of travel – just a cheap little film camera, which I completely forgot to take to Hong Kong and Tokyo. So, sadly, there are no photos of either of those locations.

Now I better understand the necessities of visiting a foreign, non-English speaking country. And, the camera is the first thing to be packed for any trip.

Jenny having fun at the Dead Sea

What inspired you to create ProjectExplorer.org? Fill us in on the various areas of the organization and how people can get involved.

In 2000/2001, I had the opportunity to work briefly in Hong Kong and Tokyo – a total eye opening, educational experience for me! It was a complete cultural shock at the time for this less-than-travel-experienced gal! My time in Asia made me think about how developing a global awareness from a young age could change a young person’s life – helping to encourage cultural understanding and appreciation.

So, in 2003, I began ProjectExplorer.org to provide “virtual passports,” especially to those for whom travel is simply not possible. This is done in the form of more than 175 short videos, photos, world music clips, and travel blogs. And, we will be adding to that multimedia catalogue this summer/fall with the Mexico and Portugal series!

For ProjectExplorer.org, I hire a small crew of travel-savvy individuals – photographers, presenters, shooters, and producers. We then hit the ground in a country and cover as many facets of the history and culture as possible in a very short period of time. Once back the in US, I work with a team of volunteer writers, editors, and educators. So, with ProjectExplorer.org there is always a place for “Travel Geeks” to volunteer. An easy way to get involved is to create your own video for our global citizen dialogue telling us what global citizenship means to you or by sending us viewer questions for our production team to answer when on-location.

And, of course with any children’s charity – funding is always needed. Currently, we are trying to raise $2,500 (by end of May) for our upcoming project in Mexico and I hope to do so well before the critical mark.

Good Global Citizen shares a similar belief as Sosauce: to use online media and travel in fostering cultural enrichment. What impact do you hope Global Citizens will leave on young travelers?

I hope that my Global Citizen project will help young people to become curious about the world in which we live. For many of our viewers, travel is not or never will be an option, but you can become an active member of the Global community by experimenting with international cuisine, attending a foreign film, by listening to world music, and especially by following the news on a more international scale.

For those who are able to travel, I hope the project will encourage them to soak in as much of the culture and history of the places they visit and share their travels with their friends and family via stories, photos, and videos.

Share your travel experiences on Sosauce! Show off your photos in high resolution, keep a journal, pin your favorite destinations, and write reviews.

How were you able to turn your passion for wanderlust into a profession? How has new media helped further your travels?

I think most everyone wishes they could find a job that pays them to travel. When I started ProjectExplorer.org I was more interested in multimedia as a way to bring arts and history to kids. In producing and directing the series I have had the opportunity to travel A LOT over the last 5-6 years, and it is through traveling for ProjectExplorer.org that I developed a real love of travel – specifically experiencing cultures, food, and the people. This shift can be seen between my first project and my 2008/2009 Jordan series.

What advice would you give young people that are interested in working and volunteering abroad?

I’m a big fan of “voluntourism.” Volunteer vacations are a great way for people to interact with different cultures around the world in a very real, yet surprisingly simple, way. Spending time with people of different countries, cultures, and religions and sharing personal experiences can be as re-energizing and inspiring as any beach holiday. For those with an artistic background, I highly recommend Artists Striving To End Poverty (ASTEP), which provide artists with opportunities in India and South Africa.

Sosauce encourages travel with a purpose. Browse the Sosauce archives to see our previous travel internships and projects that helped connect young people with international organizations.

Some prefer to write, others prefer to take photos. How do you choose to recreate and share your travel memories?

For me, its all about photos and videos. Cameras are as essential as my passport when I travel. And, internet depending, I like to share my videos and photos are quickly as possible via email, Facebook, Twitter – I want my friends and family to feel that they are in that moment with me.

I recently started producing “quick-trips,” which are a sort of video postcard of the places I visit. This started in December 2009 with a newly acquired FLIP camera which you can watch on YouTube.

I’ve also recently started a blog to share some of my favorite world music, travel photos, and videos.

Recreate and share your travel experiences with Sosauce. Connect with us on your favorite social media sites as well!

What destinations have left you with the sauciest travel memories?

Sauciest travel memories, hmmm…there are several. Hanging out in a Bedouin tent in the Jordanian desert of Wadi Rum – the middle of nowhere. The family we visited spoke no English; we spoke no more than a few words in Arabic. We shared a meal, some mint tea, and took a long afternoon nap on the cushion-covered desert floor.

In 2008, I was visiting Cairo with two friends, one a famous jazz musician. We rented a small felucca boat at sunset and sailed the Nile; just three of us and the boatman, while my friend played his flute for us. That is one of the travel moments that will ALWAYS stay with me.

Jenny listening to a Bedouin native speaking

What destinations make up your dream travel list?

I’d go just about anywhere if given the opportunity. However, Vietnam and Morocco are at the top of my list. I am also (slowly) working on visiting every African country.

Having visited more than 30 countries, would you consider yourself a Travel Geek?

I am most definitely a Travel Geek! I am already planning my next adventure before returning home from my current trip. My passport is my most prized possession.



Thanks to Jenny for talking travel with us this week. Stop by the Project Explorer community to lend a hand and spread the word.

Check back later this month to see what travelers we feature next on the Sosauce Travel Geek blog!

You can read our previous traveler spotlight interviews here.

Avi Millman of Stray Boots

This week we chat with Avi Millman, co-creator of a fun scavenger hunt travel company called Stray Boots. Based in New York City and inspired by past global trips, Stray Boots provides tourists and travelers interactive games and trivia to make exploring cities fun and engaging. Team Sosauce even got to try a demo scavenger hunt of New York: The Game last fall, and we had such a blast, we recommend you all try it too! Read our interview below to learn more about Stray Boots, what trivia games you should incorporate in your next trip, and how you can score discounts on tourist attractions as well.



When did the travel bug first bite you?

It’s funny. I remember loving travel from the get-go, even though when I was young we never went anywhere that interesting. But even just boarding a plane to Florida to visit my grandparents was exhilarating as a 6 year old. I still love the smell of chlorine, just because I associate it with my first trips. If I walk by a YMCA, I start dreaming of childhood vacations.

But I think when I left the country for the first time at age 13 – when I went to Brazil with my club soccer team – was when I really was bitten. After that I made a trip out of the country every year, to Greece and France with my family in ’97 and ’98, and then to Sweden and Denmark on my own in ’99 with another soccer program.

How can trivia games and activities like scavenger hunts enhance one’s travel experience?

Don’t get me wrong; traditional forms of travel are great. But the outstanding majority of existing tour concepts are very ‘one-directional.’  You listen to a tour-guide who educates you about something you’re observing (or perhaps tasting or smelling, as the case may be). Or you read a guidebook that tells you about that stuff instead. When you explore a city through a scavenger hunt you’re taking an active part in your discovery of that place. You’re getting to know the area, learning to navigate it, and finding the information for yourself. Not only is it amazingly fun, but you actually retain what you learn much better than when you’re just taught it.

What inspired you and your business partner, Scott to start Stray Boots?

I actually got the idea while traveling in Italy in 2008 with my parents and my sister (sort of a reunion trip from those ones we took when I was in high school). As I was visiting various sites in Rome, looking for specific points of interest from my guidebook, I realized that much of travel is already like a scavenger hunt. You’re trying to check things you want to do off a list and find various spots you think are interesting. I got this idea that if you actually made a sightseeing game, it could be loads of fun, and a really great way to get to know a city and a culture (and maybe a way to stop arguing with your family). When I got back to NYC, I looked into what existed and no one was really doing scavenger hunts in a way that would be accessible for travelers and great way for them to explore the city. I talked to Scott over some beers (we used to work together) and he loved the idea. We got to work bringing this idea to life in NYC. We played around with tons of different ways to do it, including scavenger hunts where you collect things and ones where there’s an official starting time and meeting place. Ultimately, we decided to go with a version that people can play on their own schedules and at their own pace, since we thought that the best part of travel is seeing things your own way and not being rushed through stuff you actually want to check out. In August of 2009, we launched New York: The Game, the City’s first sightseeing scavenger hunt.

Search the Sosauce Guide for new points of interests, travel resources, and reviews around the world on the destinations of your choice!

Currently, Stray Boots offers scavenger hunts only in New York. What are some other cities you hope to bring Stray Boots to and why?

This is one of my favorite subjects, because it’s way more fun for me to dream about other places than my native New York, even if it’s the greatest city in the world. We’ve discussed US cities like Boston, Philly, and San Francisco, as well as European cities like Rome, Barcelona, London, and Paris. In my opinion scavenger hunts lend themselves to walking cities, so you don’t have to spend too much time in a car or on a subway. You’d rather spend your time exploring the streets, finding weird places and people, than in a stuffy car or underground. I actually think European cities lend themselves to this the best, because they tend to be a bit smaller than US cities and many are great walking cities. They also have tons more history than US cities (I was a history major), so I think they can make for more interesting facts as well. My ideal would be Brussels, because I love the culture, and you can pretty much get around the whole city on foot.

Stray Boots participants outside Rockefeller Center after seeing the Rockettes

How can participants document their travel experiences with Stray Boots?

Well, it’s nice because an integral part of New York: The Game is documenting your experience. Within each Game Zone (that’s what we call a neighborhood you choose to play), there are several clues where you take photos. So you’re naturally documenting as you go. Moreover the string of text messages you’re left with at the end of The Game is great documentation of the route you traveled and the information you learned.

As a Stray Boots partner, Sosauce allows scavenger hunt players to recreate and share their travel experiences with our powerful online tools. Upload your photos, pin POIs on your own map with friends, and write reviews on the places you visited all on Sosauce!

Do you think there is a connection between Travel Geeks and Stray Boots gamers?

Oh, totally. While we’ve made New York: The Game fairly mainstream, it’s really built for people who love solving puzzles and playing games (aka geeks). The people who have the best time are those who are always looking for new, fun things to do, and who revel in finding those one or two things off the beaten path that they never expected to find.

How has your experience been so far working in the New York travel start-up scene?

It’s been absolutely amazing so far. I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been ten or twenty years ago to get noticed in this industry. For a company that can’t afford brochures in hotels or people in vests harassing you in Times Square, we’ve found it so easy to reach customers both in NYC and on the other side of the world. Tools like Twitter and Facebook, as well as just basic stuff we all take for granted like Google and TripAdvisor, have made it so much easier for us to find customers and, as importantly, for customers to find us.

On top of that, we’ve just had an amazingly positive experience on a personal level. It’s funny that NYC is depicted as a harsh and unwelcoming place and the travel industry as super-competitive with huge barriers to entry, because we’ve found the individuals to be incredibly friendly, welcoming, and eager to collaborate. In fact, we’ve gotten some of the most generous responses from people at companies you’d expect to be our direct competitors.

Become a Sosauce partner and join our community of 28,000 Travel Geeks. Receive premium link exchanges, featured travel content, guest blogging opportunities, and advertising.

As a native New Yorker born and raised in the city, what do you think makes New York unique for visiting travelers and tourists?

Well, New York is obviously ridiculously great in a number of ways. It’s got world famous landmarks, amazing nightlife, tons of history: the whole shebang. But I think what it has over other cities is its diversity and the effect that its diversity has had on its culture and history. It’s sort of like 20 cities in one, all piled up on top of one another. It’s been called a ‘Melting Pot’ for over a century, so I’m not exactly the first to make this extraordinarily keen observation.

But this is definitely something I didn’t notice growing up, and totally took for granted. In fact, it wasn’t until I started leaving New York on a more regular basis that I noticed how different the City is.

What makes the City so interesting and so compelling is the way different cultures interact: mixing, but also maintaining their unique identities. You get the amazing old ethnic pockets: Chinese in Chinatown, African Americans in Harlem, or Poles in Greenpoint. But even more interesting to me is how you get people of different backgrounds and lifestyles thrown together, be it hipsters riding the subway in from Williamsburg alongside orthodox Jews, or yuppies, hippies, and children sharing the Great Lawn in Central Park. It’s this element of NYC that we’ve tried to capture in New York: The Game. Each Game Zone tries to show you what that area is all about, but also tries to illuminate the diversity and nuances of it too.

What’s next in 2010 for Stray Boots?

I think it’s safe to say that at this point no one really knows about us. We plan to change that in 2010, now that New York: The Game is complete and tested. So this year, we want anyone and everyone to come try New York: The Game.

In fact, and some people think we’re crazy for this, we’re offering a money back guarantee, where customers who aren’t satisfied after an hour of playing can get a full refund. So help us out and tell everyone you know that they should come out and play now that the weather’s warm. There’s absolutely nothing to lose!

What other ways can Travel Geeks get involved at Stray Boots?

We just came out with a product testing program where New Yorkers who are interested can do our scavenger hunts for free in return for feedback about their experience. We’re also looking for a few talented interns to join our ranks this spring and summer. Anyone interested in learning more should drop us a line.



Thanks to Avi for talking travel with us. Look out for Stray Boots in nearby cities in the tri-state area in the future, and be sure to sign up for New York: The Game now to receive $10 discount. Let us know how it goes!

You can read our previous traveler spotlight interviews here.

This week we chatted with Christina Tunnah of World Nomads, a site dedicated to helping people travel safer, smarter, and better. Christina assists with Business Development for World Nomads here in the Americas, which means she travels often for her job – meeting and greeting important people. In between, Christina has an urge to experience the world around her – learning new languages, exploring the outdoors, appreciating diverse food, and taking an interest in sustainability and technology. Read our interview below to find out secret tips on buying the right travel insurance, what is on her agenda this year, and what travel communities she enjoys.

Christina Tunnah of World Nomads

This year is almost half-way through! How has 2010 treated you so far and what upcoming travel plans are you looking forward to?

2010 is zooming by. It has been a solid year so far, with lots of travel already under the belt. I kicked the year off with an overland trip from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago, Chile, enjoying a lot of great wine (and meat) along the way! On the work front, we celebrated over 1 million mobile language guides downloaded, a significant milestone that is inspiring the development of more language guides and mobile apps.

I’ve also been traveling a lot for work: conferences, partner meetings, and recently two weeks in Sydney, where World Nomads is headquartered, to plan out the rest of the year’s programs, including the next Travel Video Documentary Scholarship to the Ecuadorian Amazon. We’ve been running travel scholarships since 2007, but this one in particular is special because not only do we pair the winner with a professional, but we are partnering with Gap Adventures in celebration of their 20^th anniversary by returning to the destination of their first trip, the Delfin Community, with both founders of Gap and World Nomads. We will also undertake a community development project, funded via our Footprints Program, which will be filmed as part of our Positive Footprints documentary series.

Looking to join a travel partnership this year? Consider becoming part of the Sosauce Travel Geeks affiliate series! Read more information about our offers here.

Can you describe the first time you were bitten by the travel bug?

It came early when I didn’t even realize I’d been bit! I was born in England (English father, Spanish mother), but at two months my family moved to Ponce, Puerto Rico, which started a chain of places I called home. My parents took us all over Latin America and Europe, instilling a lasting love of exploration, and cultural, linguistic, and culinary curiosity. If I were to pick a defining moment, it was probably on a trip to Verbier, Switzerland when I was around 10, where my brother and I cried as we said goodbye to this magical place. Without really understanding it, I felt the pull and magic of new places and adventures.

Christina in Chile

What inspired you to become a professional in the travel industry?

I always wanted a career that was international and involved a lot of travel. As a kid, I dreamed about being a foreign correspondent, but was derailed by wanderlust. After long detours in China, Korea and Taiwan, I landed in the US working for a book publisher. This lead to a rather circuitous route through the technology industry (which I also love) and owning a sustainable manufacturing business in Berkeley before finally rooting in the travel industry where I feel at home professionally.

Sosauce is always on the lookout to recruit engaging travelers. If you are interested in getting involved with a travel community, email us for consideration.

What travel communities have you been a part of?

There are lots of terrific travel websites, groups and organizations (and communities) that I enjoy engaging with (too many to list here). Here are my most recent faves: the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), Travellr, Virtual Tourist, Tnooz, PhocusWright and the many bloggers I have come to know through work, and many of whom are part of the Travel Blog Exchange.

Be sure to connect with Sosauce on Travel Blog Exchange as well!

How did you get involved with World Nomads? What is your role there now?

Aaaah, it’s a long story that evolved over the last four years but started with a fru-fru cocktail when both the GM and the founder of World Nomads came to San Francisco to meet travel partners. We clicked immediately. Over the years since that initial meeting, I got to interact with the extended World Nomads team and learn more about their very creative, quirky, agile and unconventional approach to marketing travel insurance, such as the Vantastic! Australia road trip competition, which I especially love. When the chance to work with them as the VP of business development in the Americas, I had to pinch myself. It was the perfect blend of working in travel, technology and philanthropy. I wear lots of fun hats with my role too: account development and management, marketing, campaigns, PR/media, and strategic alliances.

World Nomads is all about helping travelers stay safe on their trips by providing beneficial travel insurance. What are some reasons you think travelers are hesitant from investing in quality travel insurance?

Great question. I think the answer depends on the market, the type of traveler and the way trips are planned. In Europe and Australia, travel insurance is as much a part of the travel purchase process as buying an airline ticket. Even on small budgets, travelers from these regions understand the value and importance of travel insurance.

In the US it’s more of a challenge. I think travelers assume their existing health insurance (through school or employer) covers them, and/or their credit card offers some protection, and/or their renters/home insurance will cover their belongings. But this may not be the case at all, or there are serious limitations. Those on budgets minimize their upfront costs and shave this expense, not realizing peace of mind only costs a cup of coffee a day. As travelers, many of us are focused on the planning without thinking about the unplanned (and unwanted); this is where good insurance can make a real difference.

What tips would you give newbie travelers on buying the right insurance?

Whether a newbie or a seasoned traveler, these tips apply in varying degrees to considering the right insurance:

Travel insurance should provide cover for medical expenses for sudden illness and serious injury whilst traveling, theft of valuables, baggage damage, loss/damage of sporting equipment and interruptions to flight plans.

• Travel insurance should provide cover for medical expenses for sudden illness and serious injury whilst traveling, theft of valuables, baggage damage, loss/damage of sporting equipment and interruptions to flight plans.
• If you don’t think you need all of the benefits listed with a travel insurance policy, weigh up the different limits on policies against what matters most to you: Medical? Baggage loss? Camera/computer gear? Cancellation? Evacuation?
• Check for any deductables you may incur
• Don’t skimp on dates of coverage-buy insurance for the duration of the trip
• Think about the type of activities that are planned and how insurance may be required by the operator or covers against injury.
• Read about the policy benefits and the benefit limits as well as the policy inclusions and exclusions to make sure the it is right for you
• Everyone loves to party, but note the policy’s treatment of any incidents that result of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• When comparing policies, look for those insurers that have a 24 hour assistance number for emergencies anywhere in the world once you are on the road.
• Check if the policy will cover pre-existing medical conditions. Many don’t, so if that is important to you, ensure it is covered and be prepared for the possibility of a more expensive plan as a result.
• What is the value of the items, technology gadgets or sporting equipment you are taking?

• What is the value of the items, technology gadgets or sporting equipment you are taking?

Buy your travel insurance with World Nomads: Travel insurance for adventurous travellers. Buy, extend & claim online even after you’ve left home.

You are constantly traveling for business. What are some of your sauciest travel experiences while representing World Nomads on the road?

Well, when you work for World Nomads, you have to expect every trip to be saucy, especially when traveling with colleagues who are never shy of a laugh or new experience on the road! A few highlights include the WYSTC conference in Manchester, England-sauciness on a daily/nightly basis in a city that hopped all night. Most recently, with co-workers at the New South Wales Backpackers Association ball on a Sydney Harbour cruise. Lots of sauce there!

Some prefer to write, others prefer to take photos. How do you choose to recreate and share your travel memories?

I don’t have a steady favorite to be honest and it’s usually a mix of both on any given trip. It also depends on how light I want to travel (i.e. how much photography equipment I want to take) or how much detail (i.e. time) I want to capture when writing about my experiences either in a journal, e-mails or blog. I find that in e-mails, my writing is more alive with stories because I have a personal connection with the reader vs. a journal/blog where the audience is me or strangers. I love writing travel notes for friends who are also planning a trip to a place I’ve been. I pull out all the business cards I collect and annotate en route. The last two years, I’ve taken to sharing and capturing places/tips on my mobile through Facebook updates, texting, Q&A on Travellr, Tweets, Foursquare and Gowalla.

Recreate and share your travel memories with Sosauce. Share in our motto: get sauced, get social by following us online, too!

At World Nomads you also highlight unique global opportunities such as the Footprints program. Can you tell us your mission behind Footprints and some of its successes?

World Nomads is the founding partner of the Footprints Network, which I am very proud of. It is a technology platform that aggregates thousands of micro-donations made in tandem with online purchases of not just World Nomads’ travel insurance, but all partners who have integrated the API into their e-commerce purchase path. 100% of the funds raised go to the charitable projects of the third-party charities and NGOs we work with.

It emerged from an inspirational concept following the Asian Tsunami in 2004, and from there it has grown into an independent network of e-commerce businesses that share the same ethics and values. The Footprints Networks uses the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals as a guide and compass.

To me the beauty of Footprints is that it reinforces the power of the individual and the kinship it forges with other like-minded travelers from all over the world. I love checking out the status of current, funded and completed projects that our community of travellers have supported. So far through Footprints, over 302,000 travelers have helped raise more than $785,000 for 53 projects around the world.

We have also professionally filmed and edited a documentary series of these projects which is currently being screened on Nat Geo Adventure channel and over 25 airlines around the world.

Having traveled extensively, are there any other destinations that make your dream list?

Iran: its history, food, untrammeled by Western tourism, and my boyfriend comes from there.

Salta, Argentina and southwestern, Bolivia: remote high dessert, a lunar landscape, vicunas, flamingos

Tasmania: to hike the rugged Overland track

Turkey: I never went while my parents lived there, which I regret. The architecture, food, bazaars and fishing villages.

Having worked so long with travelers, do you now consider yourself a Travel Geek?

If geek = always exploring (even two blocks away from home) and thinking about travel, then yes. But it doesn’t always have to be about my travels. I really do love seeing friends’ travel photos and vicariously enjoying their travel adventures.

Show off your Travel Geek pride with our new badge! Email us to grab the code and display on your site.

Thanks to Christina for sharing resourceful information on traveling safely. Follow her footprints on Twitter and be sure to browse World Nomads to find the best travel safety tips on your next adventure.

Become a Sosauce sponsor and get the opportunity to reach over 28,000 Travel Geeks today! Show off your Travel Geek pride, feature your travel content with us, and advertise on our site. Learn more here.

You can read our previous traveler spotlight interviews on Sosauce here.

Meg Nesterov aka The Notorious M.E.G.

This week we chat with Meg Nesterov – animal lover, avid traveler, and digital publicist. Also known as The Notorious M.E.G. online, we love keeping up with Meg’s crazy life as she spends time juggling a career, marriage, and normal life in New York City – and now preparing to relocate to Istanbul with her hubby. Read our interview below to learn how Meg caught the travel bug, and why she can’t let it go.



Can you tell us about the first time you were bitten by the travel bug? How many footprints do you have now?

I went on a lot of road trips as a kid, even a trip to New Zealand when I was 8 to visit family, but didn’t really become a traveler until I was 21. My husband (then boyfriend) got me into travel with a trip to Naples, Italy in December 2001. After that, I made it a mission to visit at least two new places a year; I’m up to 19 countries and counting!

This has been a great year for you so far: speaking at the Social Media Roundtable and now moving to Istanbul with your husband. How have you been enjoying 2010 and what are you most excited for?

Speaking at a roundtable was a big honor as I find Twitter an ideal medium to communicate and network, and I hope to do more with social media both personally and professionally. My move to Istanbul at the end of April will definitely be a highlight, along with all the trips I plan to take from Turkey! As soon as I learned of the potential move, I made a list of direct flights from Istanbul and can’t wait to see more of the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Read Sosauce’s recap of the NY Social Media Roundtable and learn a thing or two about what Meg, and the rest of the panel had to say.

What projects are you working on this year?

While I’m in Turkey, I’ll continue doing public relations, along with a new role as social media “curator,” maintaining a Facebook page and blog for our agency and clients. I’ll also be doing a lot of personal blogging on www.thenotoriousmeg.com and keeping up with my social media friends online.

You enjoy traveling a lot with your husband. What has been the most memorable travel experience with him? Any tips you would give to other traveling couples?

Every trip is memorable in their own way, but visiting the Corn Islands in Nicaragua was pretty adventurous including two flights to Managua, a tiny plane ride, and a rocky trip on a small open fishing boat to an island with no roads or ATMs (tip: come armed with many crisp dollar bills, they won’t take money that is torn in any way, though the local currency looks worn to an inch of its life). I learned on that trip that you don’t have to share all interests or spend every minute together. I also discovered SCUBA diving was not for me, but my husband is PADI-certified; I’m content to sit on the beach and read while he goes for a dive.

As a Brooklynite, does the New York state of mind have an effect on your travels?

Every place I’ve been, people relate to New York and want to share their experiences or find out if you know their cousin Tony (probably not). Especially after September 11^th,  people are sympathetic and tend to not make negative assumptions about Americans when they learn you’re a New Yorker. I’m also always happy to come home, though the ride from JFK to Brooklyn is less than romantic.

Are you a New Yorker too? Get saucy with us at upcoming New York City travel events! Shoot us an email or contact us on Twitter for more information.

As a hotel publicist, how were you able to translate your love for travel into a professional career?

I got into it totally by accident, which was lucky. I was a full-time student in physical anthropology (hence the fixation with monkeys you might know me for on Twitter) in 2005 and got a temp job at Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the PR department which turned into two years. I’d always loved media and travel and loved working with such a great team of talented writers. From there, I moved over to the client side of travel PR and have a great time combining travel and media.

What are your thoughts on the new advancements in technology, communication, and resources introduced to the online travel world? And how are you able to utilize social media to enhance your travels?

I didn’t expect to love Twitter but once I got the hang of it, now I don’t know how I’d live without it. It’s a perfect way to share links, information, and travel advice; and great for people like me who rarely have time to blog long-form. At my agency, we have developed a Social Media 101 to introduce various platforms to client hotels and tour operators who can integrate social media for customer service, social networking, and sharing news and offers. Personally, I use social media for travel information a lot, from searching for hotel photos on Flickr, to following tourism boards and local media, to asking questions about the best airfare booking sites.

Some prefer to write, others prefer to take photos. How do you like to recreate and share your travel memories?

I’d say 99% of my travel photos on Flickr are actually taken by my husband, though I do like taking pictures of graffiti and zoo animals. I keep most of my brochures, maps, and receipts from past trips and try to blog at least part of it and keep the rest for a one-day, never-going-to-happen scrap booking/collage project. I’m open to any ideas for what to do with a couple hundred used airline tickets!

Join Sosauce to recreate and share your travel memories like Meg!

What do you hope to provide your readers at your blog, The Notorious M.E.G.?

I try to include honest recommendations and useful destination information but also a point-of-view. When we travel in a city, we tend to walk many miles a day, rarely stop for regular meals, and eschew any type of guided tours, even when hopelessly lost in translation. I don’t expect many people to travel the same way but I hope they’ll enjoy another method of traveling and maybe get a laugh from one of my stories.

Having traveled extensively now for both business and leisure, do you consider yourself a Travel Geek?

See above about the hundreds of airline ticket stubs. If knowing most world cities by their airport codes, the biographies of most hoteliers, and the mastheads of every travel magazine and newspaper travel section makes me a geek, then I’m proud to be a Travel Geek!



Thanks to Meg for showing her Travel Geek pride and chatting with us this week. Keep up with her online at Twitter or read her blog at The Notorious M.E.G. Come back to the Sosauce blog next week to see what expert traveler we’ll be chatting with!

*All photos provided by Meg Nesterov.

Become a Sosauce sponsor and get the opportunity to reach over 28,000 Travel Geeks today! Show off your Travel Geek pride, feature your travel content with us, and advertise on our site. Learn more here.

This week we chatted with our friend, Annemarie Dooling who is head blogger for Frill Seeker Diary, a nifty New York City-based blog that covers the latest happenings of the Big Apple – everything from pop culture news to adventure trips. Aside from covering her city’s best activities, Annemarie is a fan of taking road trips with her fiancé, being addicted to online media (she hosted this year’s Social Media Roundtable with Flightpath), and having a good drink with friends. Read our interview below to get to know more about this social media-loving traveler and why she loves what she does.

Annemarie Dooling of Frill Seeker Diary

How has 2010 been treating you so far? Any exciting projects lined up?
2010 has been just fantastic. I’ve been approached with some really exciting projects, like moderating the NYSMRT and speaking at TBEX in June. I’ve also written for Marie Claire and Hotel Marketing, and have started exclusive hotel video tours. And very soon I’ll have an even bigger part in the digital campaigns of travel properties, although I can’t say anything just yet! Most of all, they are all a lot of fun, and I think an important part of doing something you love in life is to do something really fun.

Note: Sosauce just joined the Travel Blog Exchange community! Befriend us at TBEX to stay in touch and be sure save us a seat at this year’s TBEX Conference!

I noticed you go on lots of weekend trips around the northeast. What interests you most about exploring this part of the country?
I spent a few years traversing around Europe and loved it, but I just bought a house and have been engaged for two years. After talking to a lot of friends going through the same life changes, I was inspired to explore the area around my hometown, which happens to be New York City. It’s amazing the range of cultures, from really eco friendly day trips like rural PA, to major cities like Montreal, DC, and Philly. I think it’s important to know where you come from to figure out where you’re going. I continually love Philly and drive up and down I-95 whenever I feel the need for a cheesesteak.

We love this side of town too. If you are looking to book local trips, check out the Sosauce Guide page with information on lodging, dining, budget, and transportation.

Do you think living in such a multi-cultural city as New York influences your desire to travel to similar destinations?
My family came to NYC on a boat from Italy, and they weren’t in the financial position to go back. I was raised by a single mom who passed away too soon. This year I was able to visit Rome for the first time as a traveler. It sounds cheesy but being able to take that same trip, in reverse, for pleasure, and see that side of my heritage was just amazing. This is a trip my mother or grandparents could never have taken, even just to see family. I think my upbringing, coming from such a cultural family, really increased my want to see the world.

We love Frill Seeker Diary as it is a fun read for us New York Travel Geeks. What inspired you to start Frill Seeker Diary and how have you seen it grow since its launch?
When I started Frill Seeker Diary, my goal was to document my travels when I couldn’t be on the road. It just happened to turn out that my New York posts got a lot more attention than all others. Being a native New Yorker and having the access to the events and places that I do is something I sometimes take for granted, but it’s an amazing city full of amazing things, and I’m happy to share these secrets and tips with anyone living or visiting.

With your background in Journalism, how were able to translate your writing career into the new media platform? Were there any challenges you experienced going digital?
I have been exceptionally blessed in my career, for someone who started out at the end of the journo-era. I have an amazing base of friends at publishing houses like Conde Nast and Hearst that gave me access to a lot of freelancing for blogs; that used to be the way to get to print, not the salvation out of it! Because of that, I taught myself HTML, social networking, video creation, and other skills that have really translated into new media producer roles. I think any writer who doesn’t have some of these skills is fooling themselves. There will always be print media, but the possibilities with digital are endless.

You are one of our favorite travelers to chat with on Twitter. How have you embraced social media and travel and how do you see the two benefiting from one another?
Awww thanks! I’m a naturally chatty person and now instead of writing quips on napkins, I’ve started writing them on Twitter. I think it’s been an exceptionally useful skill (and platform) when traveling because descriptions and pictures speak for themselves. Sure, I can come home and write a four-page essay on the art of Brussels for Budget Travel, but I can also take two seconds at Mannekin Piss to snap a twitpic and send it to 4,000 people in a second. It’s a great way to share experiences, find out about amazing trips and places, and figure out where you are going.

Sosauce loves using Twitter as well to connect with the travel industry community. Be sure to chat with us @Sosauce for updates and news on the Travel Geeks, saucy travel articles, and upcoming events.

As host of the NYSMRT, what were some tips you took away from the discussion panel?
NYSMRT was a lot of fun and I was lucky to speak with some informed panelists. Although the main verbal theme was probably “storytelling” or, using your guests’ story as your own, I think there was an underlying theme of authenticity. Stacy, Kim, Meg, and Brian all have unique backgrounds in the industry, and all perform different functions, but one thing that makes them all special is they combine a professional job with personal loves. This interjection of “them” makes everything they do seem more authentic, more honest, whether they are plugging hotels they love, questioning guidebook apps, or scouting down deals. And that’s a lesson I think all of us can take home.

Some prefer to write, others prefer to take photos. What is your favorite way to document and share your travel experiences?
I share. I have to admit although I greatly admire travel photography, I rather keep that snapshot in my mind. And while I think writing about trips is great (obviously), I don’t do it as much as I probably should. But as long as I can have a conversation with someone, and reminisce about a café in Prague, a classic movie theatre in Midtown, or a boutique in Lancaster, I think it’s been worthwhile.

Having now connected to so many travelers online, do you consider yourself a Travel Geek now?
I was probably a geek long before travel (haha). My constant need to be on my iPhone has annoyed many a traveler partner, including my poor fiancé, but I need it. It’s like an extension of myself that lets me video, photograph, and take down notes on the place I’m visiting. I definitely geek-out over that.



Thanks to Anna for talking about her personal travels and social media experience with us on Sosauce. To see what she is up to next, connect with her on Twitter and read what you should be exploring the next time you are in New York at Frill Seeker Diary.com.

Build a better travel blog with Travel Blog Success. Join Sosauce in becoming an affiliate – explore premium membership options, read expert advice, and create action plans for your travel blog. Learn more here.

You can read our previous traveler spotlight interviews on Sosauce here.

Matt Kyhnn on the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

Matt Kyhnn is a twenty-something backpacker working in New Zealand. Originally from Iowa, Matt set out to travel the world after graduating college in 2007, saving his pennies and extending his trips throughout Europe and currently, New Zealand. His blog, Backpacking Matt is dedicated to those budget thrill-seeking backpackers looking for their next inspirational adventure abroad. We talked to Matt about his busy life as non-stop traveler, his love for writing, and key tips for young people aspiring to join the backpacking lifestyle.

How would you describe being bitten by the travel bug?
Well one thing’s for sure, I didn’t see it coming – I don’t think anyone does. It hit me shortly after my first working holiday in Ireland. It’s a feeling of wanting to see more, to better experience and know this world we live in. I’m still terrified at the prospect of settling down as there is so much I’ve yet to see.

Any exciting trips lined up this year?
I’m just finishing up a three-month, summer season job down in New Zealand. Right now, I’m looking at about six weeks of traveling around the North and South islands with Max (my 1986 campervan) and Nicole (my 1985 girlfriend).

I’m stoked to see more of what this country has to offer. So far I’ve been more than impressed – in a country the size of Colorado, you’ve got pristine beaches, twelve thousand feet snow capped peaks, adrenaline packed adventure sports, epic walks, and world renowned wine. Needless to say I’ve had a blast so far, and am totally looking forward to another couple months of carefree travel.

Longer term, I’m considering heading off to Korea to teach English. It’s an area of the world I’ve yet to explore, and it presents a great opportunity to travel and save money.

You’ve visited numerous countries and destinations. Which have been your favorite and why?
That’s a terrible question to ask a backpacker, but I’ll do my best to narrow it down! I hold a special place in my heart for Ireland, as it’s the first place I had ever been outside of the US. I remember vividly the small, one-street, three-pub villages that smelled intensely of peat smoke. The people were so warm and welcoming, and the Guinness was pretty damn good too.

Ireland has treated many of our Sosaucers well. Check out the latest Ireland trip, The Guinness Chronicles, featuring photos, reviews, tips, and journals from Dublin, Belfast, Galway, and other notable cities.

Edinburgh is without a doubt one of my favorite cities in Europe. I love Edinburgh’s narrow, winding alleyways, its cobblestone streets, and the imposing castle in the center of the city. I spent ten months in Edinburgh, and it didn’t take too long for it to begin to feel like home.

For other travelers like Matt who fell in love with Edinburgh, you might want to connect with an Edinburgh resident and expert, Graeme Taylor on Sosauce. This Travel Geek knows the hidden gems and mathematical history of this great European city.

Towards the end of my first stint overseas, I spent about a month in Istanbul. I absolutely loved it. I spent days wandering the neighborhoods of Istanbul just soaking up its foreignness – drinking it in. It was the furthest away from Western cultures that I’d traveled to at the time. I remember waking up in my hostel bed to calls to prayers and the sounds of old men walking the streets with carts selling produce, seafood, and anything else you could imagine. I remember the Turkish as being the most welcoming, kind hearted, and giving people I met during my travels.

What interested you in traveling to Scotland, New Zealand, Ireland, and Europe after college?
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after I graduated. I thought a 10 month working holiday in Europe would give me time to figure that out. All I figured out was that I loved traveling, and immediately after returning home made it my goal to leave again as soon as possible. Working holidays allow me to earn money while traveling. I’ve just done six weeks of work, and now I have at least six weeks of holiday. I’d say it’s a pretty good way to spend your mid twenties.

Matt doing a 134 meter Nevis bungy in Queenstown

For many of us post-collegiate Travel Geeks, traveling on the cheap is essential. What tips can you share on how to maximize your trips with as little money as possible?
I think a lot of it is starting the budget before you leave for your trip. If you cut out much of your frivolous day-to-day expenses before your big adventure, you’ll have that much more to spend once you’re actually traveling.

When I got home from my first working holiday, I almost immediately began saving for my next trip to New Zealand. If you’re a long-term budget traveler or backpacker, you constantly have to think about living on a budget. For me it’s worth it at the end of the day as it allows me to travel further.

As a travel blogger, do you face any challenges to stay up to date and active both online and off?
I’ve really struggled with this in the last three months. I’ve been doing 50 plus hour weeks during the busy summer season, and often the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is write. I’m a big believer in making ‘to do’ lists. When I have everything laid out in front of me, it’s much easier to get things accomplished. And, at the end of the day, I really love to write – so it’s often simply a mater of sitting down and cutting myself off from any other commitments I have.

You are a hardcore backpacker. Considering what you have experienced, do you identify yourself as a Travel Geek?
Well, as it’s Saturday night and I’m in the process of planning my tentative route around the North Island and answering these interview questions, I’ll have to answer yes! I have a passion for traveling, meeting new people, and seeing the world. I’m really glad to have my blog to share my experiences and offer advice for other budget travelers.

Some like to write, others prefer to take photos. How do you like to document and share your travel experiences?
Until now I’ve focused my efforts solely on writing and taking photos. Nicole, the aforementioned 1985 girlfriend, has been helping me out a lot in New Zealand by taking photos for BackpackingMatt.

I’m a big believer in skipping the notes on paper while you’re traveling and simply making mental notes of the experience. When I sit down at my computer, and think back to the experience, the details come quicker than if I tried to decipher my chicken scratch.

As of last week, I’m in the process of shooting a video featuring my tips for your time in Franz Josef on New Zealand’s West Coast (where I’m living at the moment). I’ve had a lot of fun shooting the clips, but now it’s a matter of figuring out the editing process.

Matt on Franz Josef Glacier

Whether you choose pen and paper or a point and shoot camera to capture your travel experiences, Sosauce can help you recreate and share your travel memories. Check out our high res photos, interactive maps, premium photo products and more at www.sosauce.com.

If  you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?
To be honest, I’m not really sure if I have an answer to that question. At the end of the day, I’m happy, I’m traveling, and I’m living my life exactly how I want to. I’m not ready to settle down, and I won’t be until I tick quite a few more countries off my list. I love the thrill of traveling, the way it heightens the senses and makes even the simplest activities exciting. And right now, that’s good for me.

Thanks to Matt for sharing his backpacker story with Sosauce! Be sure to keep up with Matt’s travels at his blog, Backpacking Matt.

Build a better travel blog with Travel Blog Success. Join Sosauce in becoming an affiliate – explore premium membership options, read expert advice, and create action plans for your travel blog. Learn more here.

You can read our previous traveler spotlight interviews on Sosauce here.

This week we chatted with Travel Pod Community Manager, Louise Brown. Louise is a fierce traveler, having visited 18 countries and shared more than 2,700 travel photos, plus 345 entries on more than 50 travel blogs. If that doesn’t qualify you as a Travel Geek, then I don’t know what does. Read our interview with Louise below to find out what motivates her to keep on traveling, what it’s like to be a community manager for a top travel blog, and how she keeps her travels saucy.

Louise and dog in Iqaluit

How is 2010 treating you so far? What upcoming travel plans do you have in store this year?
Well! This year I want to go on an epic train journey. I’m competing in Off Track Planet’s Eurail contest, so I’m crossing my fingers and hoping to head to Europe for a train journey with my dad. Whether or not that works out, my dad and I are going to hop on Amtrak and do a big “upside down L” – west across the northern states to Seattle and south to California.

When did you begin sharing your travel experiences online?
I started my blog in November 2007, but I have entries from as far back as 1996, when I went to Mexico with Girl Guides. I tend to write my blogs on paper when I’m traveling, and then when I get back, just type them up. If you carry around a notebook, it’s amazing how much time you will find during the day. When you are traveling you’re always waiting around for something, whether you’re meeting a friend, catching  a bus, or ordering a meal. I always find time to write what I am thinking.

Recreate and share your travels with Sosauce! Create your own travel journals, upload hi-res photos, write destination reviews, and connect with other Travel Geeks. Join us at Sosauce.com

Any tips for aspiring travel bloggers?
Read lots and write lots. Use all five senses when you are doing it. Talk to people, take their pictures, tell them what you are doing. Make sure you give them your blog URL before you part ways, the people you write about in your blog will be your most dedicated readers in the future.

Looking to expand your travel writing portfolio? Become a guest Travel Geek blogger on Sosauce. More info can be found here.

“I try to impact the planet with the smallest footprint possible.”

You’re a big fan of being environmentally friendly and eating healthy. How are you able to keep these practices up when you’re traveling? Any tips for other like-minded travelers?

Ahhhhh, my vegetarianism usually goes right out the door when I travel. I have had some incredible veggie dishes all over the world, but I just can’t pass up the opportunity to try local and traditional meals just because there is meat in it. On top of this, I couchsurf a lot. When you are couchsurfing and/or accepting a meal at someone’s house, it’s a lot easier to graciously eat what they provide and steer the conversation away from militant vegetarian discussion. It might not be PC to operate that way, but I believe it facilitates a better relationship with your host.

To cut down on carbon emissions and pollution, I also use rideshare a lot and travel and local, land-based transportation. Two years ago, I broke down and bought a motorcycle because there were a lot of smaller towns nearby that I wanted to visit. I believe it was a compromise, because a motorcycle is A LOT more efficient than a car is. So, I’m trying to strike a balance between exploring the countryside and environmental friendliness. In addition to this, the dollars that I spend in the small towns I visit really need it, and I would not have ever gotten there had I not bought my bike.

“Types of people I enjoy: people who appreciate the journey more than the destination.”

What interested you in joining Travel Pod? How did you become Community Manager?

Couchsurfing! I was really active in our local group, in Ottawa Canada, and my boss posted the position in our group. I applied and that was that.

Your home base is currently Ottawa, Canada. Are there any other places you would like to live in?
Believe it or not, I’ve lived in Ottawa for 10 years! I’ve always wanted to live somewhere where transportation is a lot cheaper. A place like Toronto or Montreal would be ideal. On my last trip to Boston, I saved $100 on the Greyhound just because I left from Montreal rather than Ottawa. Amazing.

You’ve traveled quite a bit to attend music festivals and concerts. Who are some of your favorite musicians and what’s the sauciest experienced you’ve had at a concert?
My absolute favourite band is Smashing Pumpkins, and I saw them two years ago at Virgin Fest on Toronto Island when they were doing a double headline weekend with Bjork, The Killers, Interpol, M.I.A., K-Os, Kid Koala and tons more amazing bands. I guess I would call this a pretty saucy experience because I met my ex-boyfriend there. We’re both insane Smashing Pumpkins fans and even though we’ve since parted ways, I think meeting him really enhanced my life.

My absolute sauciest experience was crashing the artist after party at NXNE in Toronto two years ago. I found what I thought was a random flyer on the ground in a hotel for an after party. So I went bar hopping until the festival was over and when 2 a.m. rolled around, I checked out the after party that I had a flyer for in my pocket. What could it hurt, right? I walked by the venue twice, assuming the sign on the door saying “private party” was not meant for me. When I double checked the address, I noticed I was in the right place. I sat down beside the editor of Now Magazine, chatted him up and ordered a beer. When I didn’t have to pay for said beer, I realized where I was. I spent the rest of the night partying like a rockstar with up and coming indie bands like Hollerado and such. I didn’t get back to my friend’s place until well after the sun came up. It was stupidly crazy.

You feature top travel blogs daily on Travel Blog Sites. What is the purpose behind Travel Blog Sites and who have been some of your favorite bloggers to interview?
At TravelBlogSites.com, we want to showcase the best and the brightest of the web’s independent travel bloggers. There are a lot of great collaborative bloggers out there, but we want to shine a light on the DIY-ers, people doing it themselves. It’s a tough slog, and they deserve all the recognition they get, so we’re trying to give them what we can. So, we created a weekly top 100 list that breaks it down in what we think is a fair and accurate way, using Alexa and Compete.com information.

My favourite blogger to interview is a toughie! Everyone has such neat stories, but I’m gonna have to go with Corbin Fraser of ibackpackcanada.com. He has an incredible passion for my favourite country, and he just jumped right into the roadtrip lifestyle. Anyone who’s sold everything and driven across the Saskatchewan prairie gets tons of respect from me.

Read Travel Blog Sites’ feature on the Sosauce Travel Geek blog and learn to travel with a purpose.

Based on your travel experiences thus far, you’re a certified Travel Geek. What do you think makes you stand out as a Travel Geek?

I’m always looking at new ways to hack my travel. I recently used my Aeroplan points for a virtually free trip to Iqaluit, Nunavut. I had to spend about an hour calling back and forth between Aeroplan and the airline, but I finally managed a flight. They normally cost anywhere from $2,000-$3,000, but with a little bit of legwork, I got it free.

I’m also constantly checking airfarewatchdog.com and the rideshare section of Craigslist and Kijiji to find myself new and exciting cheapo weekend trips and destinations.

What is your dream destination and why?
It WAS Nunavut. As of last year, this was the only Canadian province/territory that I hadn’t visited yet. When I went there in September, it was literally a dream come true. I’m a patriotic Canadian so I feel very blessed to be able to traverse this giant country on my own. One hundred years ago, nothing like that would’ve been possible in such a short period of time, and with such ease. The diversity and harshness of the land is simply amazing. I’m constantly in awe of this place.

My new dream destination is California and Seattle, but also Portugal and Spain. Can you believe I’ve never been to California? I’m hopefully going to all four of them this summer with my dad on our giant train trip.

*All photos provided by Louise Brown.

Thanks to Louise for loving the Sosauce Travel Geeks and chatting with us about her saucy travel experiences. To get involved with Travel Pod or Travel Blog Sites, be sure to connect with their communities at TravelPod.com.

Build a better travel blog with Travel Blog Success. Join Sosauce in becoming an affiliate – explore premium membership options, read expert advice, and create action plans for your travel blog. Learn more here.

Read our previous traveler spotlights on the Sosauce blog here.

Eva Holland snowmobiling in Whitehorse, YT – Canada

This week we interviewed Eva Holland, Senior Editor at World Hum, a site dedicated to sharing the best travel stories online. Aside from reading and writing travel articles, Eva is a big history buff and is currently exploring the Great White North. I got to chat with her about her sauciest travel experiences, what travel stories inspire her at World Hum, and what’s in store for her this year.

How is Vancouver treating you? Can you tell us a bit about your trip?
Vancouver’s been exhausting, but really fantastic. I’d been thinking for a few years now that I’d like to make it out here for the 2010 Winter Games, and my trip to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Games really cemented that goal – there’s something pretty powerful about spending time in an Olympic host city. I only made it to one official event – Slovakia vs. China in women’s hockey – but just mingling with the crowds on the streets here has meant some of the best people-watching I’ve enjoyed in years.

Interested in traveling to Vancouver yourself before winter ends? Visit the Sosauce Guide for fun points of interests to book your next holiday vacation in Vancouver.

What other travel plans do you have in 2010? Are there any trips you are looking forward to most?
I’m really, really excited about seeing more of Canada’s northern territories this year. I just moved to Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon, and I plan on using it as a base for my arctic explorations. I have a road trip along the Dempster Highway, the only Canadian road to cross the Arctic Circle, planned for mid-March – I’m doing it in winter so I can drive the ice road that extends the highway all the way to the shore of the Arctic Ocean. I’m also hoping to get to Nunavut in the summer.

If you’re planning to travel soon, be sure to log your itinerary with Sosauce Trip! Record your trip on an interactive map, pin destinations and points of interest, plus add in photos, videos, tips, and reviews.

With a background in Historical Studies, when and how did you translate those interests into traveling as a new career?
It’s always been hard for me to separate my interests in history and travel – they’re two tightly interconnected expressions of my interest in the world around me, if that makes sense. I travel in part because I’m interested in the history of the places I visit, and I study history because I want to learn more about the places I’ve been and the places I want to go. So it actually feels like a pretty seamless transition to me. When I planned on a career in academics, my goal was to research and write interesting stories about the past in the places that interest me, and what I do now doesn’t feel all that different – though this way, I do get to venture out of the library a lot more often!

How did you become a travel writer? Any tips for aspiring travel writers?
I had my first newspaper story published while I was attending graduate school in England – 500 words about a “Trainspotting” themed walking tour in Edinburgh, in my hometown paper, the Ottawa Citizen. Not long after that, I decided against doing a PhD after all, and instead planned to head home to Canada and give freelance writing a real shot. That was in mid-2006 – I came home in January of ’07 and spent the next seven or eight months reading and writing and pitching non-stop. In August I attended the Book Passage travel writing conference in San Francisco, and by the fall I was blogging for World Hum and Vagablogging, and contributing regularly to Matador Travel. Six months of hard work after that, I was able to quit my day job as an archival researcher and start getting by on writing alone.

Tips? Be ready to work, and work hard. Beyond that, I think there are two different genres of advice – tips for writing, and tips for selling.

On the writing front, I think the best strategy is to write, as much as you can, and then read and re-read your work with a critical eye. Editing sessions with like-minded friends have worked well for me over the years, too. Read everything – travel writing, memoir, fiction, poetry – you can get your hands on. One of the first things I did when I came home from grad school was check all the “Best American Travel Writing” anthologies out of the library and go through them all, making notes on the stories and writers I liked best, then reading up on those writers and learning where else they’d published, then finding and reading those publications for more similar writing… and so on.

As for selling, I think it’s really important to target your pitches well – do your homework, get to know the publications you want to pitch and give your idea a hard look. Does it fit the criteria set out in the guidelines? How does it look in comparison to the stories published recently in that section? Has the topic already been covered? There’s a lot of very un-sexy nuts and bolts type work involved in pitching and submitting, and I think it’s important that new writers learn to jump through those hoops.

Sosauce is currently looking for travel writers to contribute here on the Travel Geek blog. This is a great chance to get your foot in the door – submit your travel pieces here.

As Senior Editor at World Hum, what do you believe drives travelers to the site? How do you see World Hum’s role in the travel industry?
I think people keep coming back to World Hum, above all, for the writing. In this super-saturated travel media industry, it’s never been easier to read about the wild adventures people are undertaking all over the globe – but I think a large part of what draws people to our site is the craft that our writers put into telling their stories.

What have been the most popular stories on World Hum in your experience?
The most popular stories are often the ones that make a strong, well-articulated statement – opinion pieces like Sophia Dembling’s “Confessions of an Introverted Traveler.” Pieces about travel writing often do really well, too – there are a lot of aspiring writers out there.

How is it working alongside the Travel Channel network?
It seems like a successful relationship from what I’ve seen, and probably a good example of the ways in which old and new media can work together and support each other going forward.

You’ve had the privilege to call a few cities home. What has been your favorite destination to live in thus far? Any places you would want to live in next?
That’s a tough one. Right now I’m still in the honeymoon phase in Whitehorse – I’ve been there for just over three months and am absolutely loving life in the Yukon (and it’ll only get better when summer comes!), so I’m tempted to call my latest home my favorite. The three months I spent living in Queens last year were really memorable as well – I’d always wanted to find a way to live in New York City and it was very satisfying to make that happen, even if only briefly.

Where would I want to go next? I still toy with the idea of getting a working holiday visa for New Zealand, or maybe heading back to the UK – I have a couple of years of eligibility left for those programs. And I’ve never been an expat in a non-English speaking country, so I’ve considered that, too. We’ll see.

What is it about travel writing that inspires you to recreate and share your travel experiences?
I’d be happy writing about nearly anything – history, sports, arts and culture, current affairs…I love traveling, so it’s logical for me to write about it, but my goal setting out was to make a living from writing, and the subject matter was almost secondary, in a way.



Thanks to Eva for chatting with Sosauce for this week’s edition of Travel Talk. Stay connected with Eva on Twitter and be sure to read travel stories from around the world at World Hum.

Sosauce wants to be your home for recreating and sharing travel experiences. If you are interested in becoming a community member or contributing blogger, please email us for more information.

You can read our previous Travel Talk traveler spotlights here.

Venessa Paech, Lonely Planet

Today we are highlight Venessa Paech, Community Manager at Lonely Planet. Venessa is an Australian native and certified Travel Geek who embraces global curiosity in the digital age. Read our interview with Venessa below see where she is traveling to next, what inspires her at Lonely Planet, and her thoughts on social media in the travelsphere.

How is the New Year treating you so far? What are your upcoming travel plans for 2010?

2010 is flying by! Last year was a downer for a lot of people, myself included. The New Year has already trumped it; I’ve been busy and productive, meeting amazing people, working on exciting projects and having way too much fun. As for travel… I’m off to Singapore for a conference in April (I’ve never been, so I’m looking forward to it) and I hope to visit Brighton in the UK later in the year to collect the Masters degree I’ve been working on.

How did you find a career that incorporated your passion for travel?

I was never interested in travel as a career, though I’ve always been curious about the world. I knew I wanted to work in online community – in digital culture – and work for an organisation that I could easily, honestly champion. Lonely Planet’s driving philosophy that travel is a force for good resonates deeply with me and they truly ‘get’ community and social media (it’s a rare thing). The fact that I’m immersed in conversation and content about extraordinary places is icing on the cake.

Sosauce loves Lonely Planet for believing in a similar travel motto: travel with a purpose and expand cultural enrichment. If you agree, meet Travel Geeks who share this belief at the Sosauce community.

Previous to becoming a staff member at LP, where did you travel? How did you then get involved with Lonely Planet?

I’ve spent time in Papua New Guinea and a lot of time in America, where I went to university (30 states down, 20 to go!). I lived in Manhattan for a number of years and have visited other iconic cities, like Paris and London. I’ve been through Wales, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, New Zealand, Fiji and all of Australia’s capitals. I grew up in Australia’s Northern Territory and have spent time in some breathtaking communities and landscapes up there.

As a traveller I had used Lonely Planet books and loved the Thorn Tree forum. I was on the lookout for opportunities in community management and a new role came up at Lonely Planet. Needless to say – pounce!

Looking for inspiration on your next trip? Visit the Sosauce Guide for travel itinerary ideas, destination reviews, photo galleries, and more!

What have your experiences been like to travel solo, with a friend or boyfriend, in a group, and with family?

I enjoy a bunch of different experiences. I’d get bored travelling only one way. I’ve travelled with all of the above, and had both good and less than good times during each journey. Travelling on your own can be a liberating experience. You’ll make connections you’d never make travelling with company. Travelling with a partner can be blissful too. I probably like travelling with family or in a group least. Too many competing priorities can distract from being in the moment and getting the most out of your trip.

Some prefer to write, others take photos. How do you like to recreate and share your travels?

I’ve gone through phases. I was a big journal writer for a long time, hand writing pages upon pages. I still diarise occasionally, but these days I spend so much time online that I use social networking tools to share photos and impressions with friends. I’m a souvenir fan too – always looking for a suitable memento of my time in a place. I like stuff that’s a little outside the box, something more authentic, oddball even, than cheap and commonplace. If all of that fails, I find mime and interpretative dance works well to reconstruct the highlights of a trip.

Browse the Sosauce Store to create your own travel souvenirs such as mugs, photo prints and frames, and luggage tags. No better way to remember your travel experiences than with a personalized item!

As Community Manager for Lonely Planet, what do you believe drives travelers to the site?

Most of our site visitors come to get inspired or plan their trips. They’ll explore our destination pages, read our blogs, and check out what our authors have to say about a place. They’ll stop by the Thorn Tree to get personalised feedback on itineraries, packing lists and budgets, and ask those questions that only someone who’s been there can answer. They’ll get great advice and usually find they can share some of their own experience with fellow travellers. The connections that they forge and the social experience of the community keeps people coming back again and again.

That’s my take on things. Better still, you should read this thread where some of our members reflect on what motivates them to visit and contribute to the community. It’s their world, we support it.

What can travelers expect to find on the Lonely Planet “Thorn Tree” forums?

They’ll find the oldest, most prolific and well seasoned travel community on the web. The Thorn Tree celebrates its 14th birthday in 2010, which we think is pretty awesome.

The forums themselves are divided up into regions (South America, the Middle East, etc) and themes, like Travel Tech, Get Stuffed (our foodie community) or Speaking in Tongues (the resident linguaphiles). We also have exclusive chat branches where members gather to shoot the breeze about anything and everything. That’s where the real stuff of ‘community’ happens. We’ve seen a great many friendships, a few marriages and even some Thorn Tree kids over the years!

Newcomers should find a passionate, colourful, authentic community of real travellers across every walk of life. They’ll hopefully find the answers they’re looking for and a chance to mentor another traveller if they wish. They find my fabulous team ready to help them out. And they’ll find a twig or a branch that feels like home.

At its heart the Thorn Tree is still an old fashioned forum, and our members tend to appreciate that. While we’ve had to upgrade bits and pieces over the years, we’ve tried to ensure our people and purpose remains intact. I think there’s something strangely noble about the Tree for that reason.

What have been some of the most popular destination guides on Lonely Planet?

Our most popular selling destination guides include Thailand, Japan, Australia, India, Italy and South East Asia on a Shoestring (now in its 36th year of publication would you believe!) They’re all a hit with our online visitors too.

We see spikes in attention at certain times, as you would expect. Interest in Canada has surged around the Vancouver Olympics, and tragedies like the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile also bring people to our website to learn more about that place, and often to connect with fellow travellers or locals within our community.

What’s the most unique travel story you remember hearing from your community?

Such a hard question! Every day there’s so many of them. I interviewed one of our most dedicated members last year, Elsie, about her extraordinary travels and relationship with Nepal. She celebrated her 75th birthday on Mount Everest! Another member recently wrote to us asking for us to dig up a message of theirs from May 2000 where they had responded to a request for a travel companion. They met up with the poster and a decade later they’re married with kids and still travelling. This member wanted the original post to frame as an anniversary gift. We regularly feature travel tales from the community on our homepage and our community blog.

With a social media-oriented job, how have you observed the changing landscape of independent travel?

I don’t think our core behaviors have changed very much. We’ve always asked the people in our life – friends, family, and colleagues – for ideas about where to travel. We solicit recommendations from our social networks. Those networks are played out on different tools now, and what may have been a conversation between a couple of people can now be shared between hundreds, even thousands of others. There’s great benefit in exposure to those shared conversations and exchanges.

I think our relationship to information is certainly changing in the digital age. We’re generally hungrier for details and like to have them at our fingertips wherever possible. We’re getting more accustomed to local perspectives informing our choices and we’re more intrigued with the ‘long tail’ of a place; where is that restaurant only the locals know about? We’re less interested in being a tourist and more interested in immersion from different points of view.

Our desire for new possibilities extends to the types of travel products we buy. We know we don’t have to settle for what the travel agent tells us any more, or the most mainstream option. We’re discovering all sorts of local providers offering value-rich alternatives.

On the web, we’re consuming reviews from travellers just like us. The upside is a diversity of opinion and greater relevance for our situations. The downside is UGC websites are haven for spammers, touts and other people who use lower barriers to entry to try and trick travellers. So we’re learning about what trust and reputation means online and working to get the balance right between authoritative content and non-vetted user content.

Mobile and real-time culture has also had a profound impact on independent travel. I know people who are venturing off on their first overseas trip alone who are much less anxious because they’ve got their Google map and travel app laden iPhone along as a passenger. With real-time information, assistance or local intelligence is your pocket, you’ll be more confident on the road.



Thanks to Venessa for giving us the inside scoop behind Lonely Planet’s community. Connect with her on Twitter or browse the Thorn Tree forums for travel tips.

Sosauce wants to be your home for recreating and sharing travel experiences. If you are interested in becoming a community member or contributing blogger, please email us for more information.