After 6 years of having a lot of fun with Trading Places as a personal travel blog, my baby is finally growing up! Stay tuned, because Trading Places is in the process of getting a totally new look — as well as expanding to incorporate more travel channels, and more lifestyle content besides travel. We’ll […]
When it comes to travel gear, I am a HUGE fan of the Eagle Creek brand. I use their rolling luggage (mine are the Tarmac 22 carry-on bag, and the FlipSwitch convertible wheeled backpack (full, check-in size), laptop bag, backpack and packing cubes. Pack-It Specter™ On Board toiletry kit So when I needed a new […]
I made it to Cuba, spending the New Year there. I have to admit that I didn’t totally fall in love with the country — I’ve been wanting to go for a long time, and especially once things have started easing up on the restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba, I wanted to go before […]
Today is the 71st anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of France at Normandy beaches that was the turning point in World War II. Last week I had the honor of visiting the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia and meeting some of the survivors and their families. While remembering history and paying tribute to […]
Clearly, I love to travel. Exploring cultures and finding new adventures around the world — and in particular, learning the stories and lives of others — is one of my biggest passions. That being said, it doesn’t mean that travel is always fun. Or happy. That it doesn’t have its downsides. Travel is not an […]
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 […]
There is too much rushing: past myself, in the world around me, in my own thoughts. I lose my centeredness: agendas prevail, thoughts collide, my self becomes lost. I must become quiet inside my soul: stillness of body, stillness of breath, stillness of mind. Only then do I begin to find my self again. This […]
Traveling can be a big threat to the planet—both environmentally and culturally. There, I’ve said it. As much as those of us afflicted with wanderlust don’t want to admit it, that is a cold hard truth. There are many ways in which tourism is wreaking havoc with places—but there are also many ways in which […]
Sustainable Travel is all about leaving a smaller footprint in the places we travel, both on nature and the people who live there. It’s also called ecotourism, green travel and my least favorite, responsible travel. Ugh. Can we get any less sexy? “Responsible travel” — it sounds like such a burden, doesn’t it. So onerous to […]
I have never written a post on this blog two days in a row, until now. But I wanted to follow up on my piece yesterday about the beautiful, magical Inle Lake in Myanmar (formerly Burma). After posting yesterday’s story on one of the most unique and incredible places I have ever been, last night […]
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I'm Shelley, a journeyer and learner of the world, freelance journalist and author, yoga chick and dog lover. I pound the keyboard from home barefoot every day, and while my boss is demanding she also occasionally lets me have the early afternoon cocktail. I think not going into an office or collecting corporate paychecks are very good ideas, though not always profitable. I have written for National Geographic, USA Today, The Guardian, Texas Monthly and CNN, among others. Neither the New York Times nor Johnny Depp have answered my letters yet.
I love animals, yoga, indie movies, cooking, wine, books and chocolate, though not necessarily in that order. I believe in karma. Mean people suck. If I could have any dream job I would like to be a superhero. I have performed a catch on the flying trapeze, boarded down a live volcano, snorkeled with seals and was once robbed by a monkey in Nepal. But, I don't know how to whistle.
My mantra is "travel with a purpose."
See the world like a local!
A book I wrote with my partner Keith, that lays out how we travel as much as we do, for damn near free.
Trading Places 