Laidback in Laos

Laidback in Laos

In a poetic tale of hedonism, guest writer Aram McLean recounts drunken days & free-loving nights in Laos and still manages time to experience the country’s raw beauty. The way is a mix of clay, mud and manure, making a soup of epic slime. Leeches roam the path. And they jump! Yes, jump. Curling their bodies like some blood-sucking mutant of an inch-worm, they hurl themselves at our bare...

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Standing at the Bottom of the Top of the World

Standing at the Bottom of the Top of the World

Motivated by a lecture, guest writer Vicki Dawson, realises a dream by climbing one shallow breath at a time to Everest’s Base Camp. On October 25th 2010, something that had started as a vague idea and then became a full blown obsession, led to me standing at Everest Base Camp crying my eyes out… Armed with 80 wet wipes, two pair of trousers, two tops and some sturdy walking boots I...

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Off the Couch & On the Road

Off the Couch & On the Road

“I have never been a runner,” says guest writer Tom Bailey who is on a six month journey from the couch to a 12km/7.5 mile race. “I have weak ankles and have always hated running because it hurts.” Long ago I decided that losing weight and getting in shape would be nice and was important for my health, but that was nowhere near as motivating as having an event/goal and...

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Man’s Continued Evolution

Man’s Continued Evolution

“Is selective ignorance the next step in man’s evolution?” asks guest writer Darren J. Roberts. It’s funny, evolution, I mean, it’s not like we know as we sit around Googling things which of our current skills and attributes are going to advance the species.  Sure, we can identify what might get someone ahead in business or at school, but when you talk about the evolution of...

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Learning to Live with Myself

Learning to Live with Myself

Guest writer Jennifer Lyn Olson writes with incredible honesty about the insights gained during a recent meditation course. When you learn to live without, you have the opportunity to discover what’s within. Last year, I enrolled in a 10 day Vipassana Meditation course in Southern Washington State. It was an incredibly transformative experience; I emerged from the experience a changed...

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Choosing the Right Volunteer Opportunity

Choosing the Right Volunteer Opportunity

Guest writer Jessica Williams explains why those interested in volunteering should chose who they want to donate their time to based on passion and interest and may likewise be interviewed on the same criteria by prospective ’employers': I have spent seven years recruiting in both the volunteer capacity and as an employer.  Many people ask me what are the tricks to finding that perfect...

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Nicaraguan Reflections

Nicaraguan Reflections

My first guest writer, Jerome Parisse, offers this reflective tale of his recent return to Nicaragua. I recently went back to Nicaragua to visit friends. It was 20 years since I had lived there myself, and I couldn’t help reflect on the changes that have happened all over the country. I was 24 when I left Paris for Managua, staying away for two years and coming back changed deep...

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