We all probably have our own preconceived notions of what Australia is like as a destination on any sort of trip. Loads of great weather, beautiful beaches and bouncing kangaroos were definitely a few of author Brooke Schoenman’s top expectations, and to her surprise, they all turned out to be spot on. Even after a year in this country, she says she is still amazed at what is on offer for travelers. Adventure and tourist activities for one are never understaffed, but to be honest, the best of the best in Australia is pretty much provided to us naturally or culturally. More

Who needs the illegal stuff when you’ve got the whole world open for adventure?

Highs. They’re good. Much, much better than lows. It certainly can be easy to turn that frown upside down with a little bit of chemical motivation. But what about the natural highs we can experience during our travels?

This doesn’t have to be about hitting every pub in town or scoring a bag of something that is hopefully-more-than-weeds from the seedy park downtown.

In fact, this type of behavior doesn’t make for good long-term travel; you’re just exhausted after a few days.

So in the great tradition of counting down what is best in life, here are five of the best ways to get high while traveling without worrying about ending up in a foreign prison. More

Matador Network’s Alex Nolette took the beefy challenge of picking 50 of the world’s best burger joints. He came through with a list of the most recommended, droolific burgers on earth. More

Spring Break 2010 might be over, but now’s the time to start getting pumped over summer vacation…and all of the splurge purchases that come along with it; from “collector” novelty cocktail glasses to sweatpants that read “Down Under” across your bum, nobody can resist the urge to return home with cheap goodies that flaunt your tropical travels in the most garish way possible.

And what’s the king of souvenirs? The T-shirt! If you remember the days of “Coed Naked this” and “I Survived that,” and even those trompe l’oeil scuba tees that, when you turned around, revealed you’re hooked up to a Corona bottle and not an air tank, then prepare to be blown away by these.

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You always hear about the distinction made between tourists and backpackers, but even among backpackers, we love to group each other into categories by who is the better traveler. Check into any hostel, and you will find a variety of different travelers wearing their distinctive tribal gear. Here are some of the more common that can be found in a hostel’s jungle  …More

photo by Cormac Mulhall

What is Busking?

Busking is the time-honored practice of performing for spare change in public – generally on the street or in a park. Most buskers are musicians, but if you have any sort of talent, you can generally make some good money by putting on an honest performance in a high traffic and relatively affluent area.

If you’re looking to get a sense of the local culture, street performance is a great way to do it. Your status as a foreigner adds to the exoticism of your act, so it can help give you a leg up on the locals.   …More

1. Graduate high school
2. Go to college
3. Start your career
4. Get married
5. Buy a house
6. Have children
7. Watch them grow up
8. Send them off to college, then to start their careers
9. Become a grandparent
10. Retire, travel, and enjoy life

 It’s the American dream, right?

Anyone who has grown up in the United States usually has some variation of what I like to call the “10-point-plan.” It has been ingrained in our brains since youth. The majority of Americans just take this life path as if we have no other choice.

With that simple statement, our “10-point-plan” was about to be turned upside-down.

I have to admit that even though I loved to travel, the thought of traveling internationally for a long period of time never crossed my mind. I wasn’t exactly ready to purchase a house and start popping out kids, but I also wasn’t ready to completely blow up the “10-point-plan.” My initial reaction to my wife’s question on that fateful dog walk wasn’t exactly positive, and it was the reaction that most others had once we eventually decided to take the trip and told them what our plans were.

Most Americans think it’s absolutely insane to quit their jobs to travel for a year. If it’s something you’re thinking about doing, you will probably run into many questions from friends and family who don’t think it’s possible. After a while, we found that the same three concerns kept popping up.

Here’s how you can put yourself, your family, and your friends at ease.

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If you are Canadian and want to work abroad, check out SWAP Working Holidays!

Considering teaching abroad?
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Ever wonder what it would be like to live in France? Sophia has been blogging about her time on SWAP France… more >

Traveling may not damage your career, but it can have an unwelcome effect on the way you feel about your job. Here’s how to get back into a good work flow. more>

When heading overseas you may want to make yourself a business card to hand out to employers.