Bringing Education, and Hope, to Cambodia’s Children

My “Trading Places” stories usually have to do with me experiencing life ...

Marfa, Texas: The Most Incongruous Small Town Ever

Last weekend I spent several days in Marfa, which is a small ...

Coffee and Flowers: Ruta de las Flores in El Salvador

Volcanoes are, obviously, destructive. But like most forces of nature, they create ...

Sea Turtle Release in El Salvador

They inhabit all of the world’s oceans, except the Arctic. They can live for 80 years, and play key roles in the ecosystem that is important not only to them and other wildlife, but to humans as well. Sadly, all seven species of sea turtles are on the endangered or critically endangered list. In the […]

Gear Review: Eagle Creek’s Flip Switch Wheeled Backpack

My last backpack was getting pretty pathetic; after seven years and many journeys throughout the world, I was ready to retire it after my last trip to India in November. On that trip, two of my travel buddies were rolling with Eagle Creek luggage, which they both loved, so I decided to look into the […]

The Route of Peace: El Salvador

El Salvador brings to mind, for most everyone over 25 years of age, the very recent civil war that it experienced. Traveling in this country for the past two weeks, there are both constant remnants and reminders of the war—which really began planting its roots a century before—as well as an obvious moving forward. In […]

Charming and Artsy San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

I have spent the past week in this gorgeous little colonial town tucked in the mountains of Central Mexico—an artist’s haven. One of my favorite things about San Miguel is that it’s the perfect place to simply wander—through the lanes, markets, churches, courtyards, galleries and cafes. I would like to share San Miguel de Allende […]

Inspiring and Beautiful Blog Awards

I was surprised/touched/honored to be nominated for three blogger awards around the New Year: The Inspiring Blog Award, by Amira at Have Life, Will Travel Amira wrote about her nomination of Trading Places: “I enjoy this blog because Shelly attempts to add meaning and purpose to her travels through volunteering and rasing awareness about issues […]

2012 Travels and Blogging in Review

Well, it’s the end of another year—and for me, the end of many more adventures around the world. I thought I would recap my year in travel, as well as blogging. What were some of my favorite travel moments, places and people? What were my most popular stories on this blog? First, I’d like to […]

Win a Home Exchange Membership!

When I travel, I prefer to live like a local as much as possible. That’s why I enjoy staying in small family-owned guest houses, home stays or doing home exchanges. Swapping places when I travel is not only one of my favorite ways of staying local—in a house or apartment instead of a hotel room, […]

Finding Home: Our Soul Cultures

Have you ever had that moment when traveling to a new and unfamiliar place—maybe you’ve already journeyed all over the world, maybe it’s one of your first experiences—but suddenly, you are somewhere you know you were just meant to be. A place that resonates deep inside you; a place where you feel more like yourself […]

Top 5 Reasons to Volunteer on your Travels

This Sunday, I set out for my seventh trip to India, each of which has included a week’s stay at a children’s home in the northeastern state of Odisha. In fact, volunteering at this home where more than 100 parentless children live is the reason I went to India in the first place, back in […]

Andrew McCarthy on Taking the Longest Way Home

I’ve never understood the derision that sometimes accompanies the idea of “finding oneself.” I’ve also had problems understanding the notion that some people have that taking off to travel the world, especially for an extended period of time, is somehow an escape or “not facing reality.” In my opinion, and experience, nothing could be further […]