thefutureisred

My 7 Links: A Blog Self Evaluation From Contraversial to Proud

My 7 Links is sort of like a Best Of post, but with a twist. Instead of measuring by number of hits, Tripbase asks each of us to evaluate our blogs based on 7 different criteria. Kind of a Yom Kippur for bloggers, if you will.

Audrey and Dan of Uncornered Market tagged me as one of their bloggers.

This comes at a particularly perfect time as I’m in the process of moving my blog over –- finally – to Wordpress and have been going through all my posts to decide which I want to keep and which will be left to seep into the dark and forgotten corners of cyberspace.

And now, with no further drama or ado, I give you my seven.

Most Popular Post

How To Pay For Two Years Of Travel, Part I

This one was easy to choose. This post has by far received the most hits, the most links in and the most e-mail.  It's been featured on AOL twice, MSNBC and other places I don't even remember.

I do remember, though, exactly where I was when I wrote it. Sitting in Cafe Victoria on Plaza 9 de Julio, the main square in Salta just a few weeks after we arrived. At that point, I had no idea we would still be here three years later.

I was just starting to gear my blog beyond family members so this was one of the first posts I wrote with a larger audience in mind. I published How to Pay For Two Years Of Travel, Part II, shortly after.

Most Controversial Post

Why Thanksgiving Can Never Be Just A Day Of Thanks

Almost immediately after hitting publish on this post, I began to receive nasty and usually anonymous e-mails about how I'm not a good American and have betrayed my country. Then I watched as my blog subscriptions dropped more in one week than in the rest of the five years I've been blogging.

I don't believe myself to be unpatriotic simply because I'm willing to be honest about a very ugly part of American history. I believe it is only through that honesty that we can become a better, more inclusive nation. Anyone who can't handle it? Too bad.

Most Helpful Post

How To Avoid Being Scammed When Traveling To Another Country

My choice for this category was a toss up between this one and a post giving the nitty gritty, boring details of renewing your tourist visa in Salta. I ultimately chose How To Avoid Scams, because it has a more widespread usefulness. While the scam I encountered was in Buenos Aires, the methods to avoid, handle in the moment and report afterwards are universal.

Post That Surprised Me With Its Success Most

My Birthday Challenge: How Can I Help?

This was my first post to go viral. I published one night before ped, and the next morning when I saw my hits were about 1000 times what they normally were for the early morning, I was surprised. 

This, too, was shortly after I began writing posts for people other than family or friends, and I was just beginning to get a feel for what worked and what didn't. While I can't say I have mastered the art of making posts go global, seeing the response to My Birthday Challenge taught me much.

Most Beautiful Post

Homecoming Is As A Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle

This post always gets me. I think because when I read it I remember being at Lenox Mall so clearly and being overwhelmed with conflicting emotions of being overjoyed to be home while simultaneously and with equal force wanting to return to the beach and the freedom of travel.

It's a feeling all travelers know well, but it's not so easy to capture and explain. I think this post does both.

This post was also featured at the TBEX 2010 convention in New York City. I couldn't be there in person, so I'm glad a little piece of my writing could represent for me.

Post That Didn’t Get the Attention It Deserved

What Is Death To A Four Year Old

When a family member, pet or human, dies, once we get over the initial shock, we parents soon realize our kids are going to have questions. How does one explain death to a child? How are we supposed to encapsulate and clearly transmit information about something that, quite frankly, adults don't understand either?

When we talked to Lila that day in August, she made it easy. She asked the questions, and she was content to accept that sometimes Mommy and Daddy don't have the answers either.

This post didn't have much readership, though. I think in part because, well, I didn't have much readership. But it's also because it is so difficult to talk about death. So often, we hide it, push it away, cover death in metaphor in an attempt to avoid our own discomfort with not knowing.

Dan from Uncornered Market cited Unspoken Patagonia as his choice for Didn't Get the Attention. I think it didn't for similar reasons. We simply don't really know how to talk about death and the injustice that often comes with it.

Post Of Which I Am Most Proud

A Portrait Of Lila On Her Fifth Birthday

The way I describe her on this day a bit over two years ago is no longer an adequate portrayal of my daughter. Now, she rides horses. She can swim. She reminds me every morning to take my multivitamin and even brings it to me with a glass of water. She still loves art and music. She's still very much attached to us, but has lost her fear of going places without us.

I am proud of this post, because I am proud of LIla.

*******

Now that I've finished my 7 links, it's time to tag five more blogs. All are from people whose blogs I read and opinions I respect. 

First, Juliane Huang who knows the best place to find sandwiches in NYC and writes from her own twisted and wonderful view of the world.

I had a chance to get to know Aracely and Jason of Two Backpackers when they spent some time with us in Salta. The writing is funny, poignant, interesting, but don't forget to check their videos, too.

Christine Garvin of Confronting Love & Living Holistically With Humor. A good friend who always has a unique perspective and solid advice which you'll find in her writing as well.

Paul Sullivan of Slow Travel Berlin, crazy funny English guy who knows how to take a photo.

I met Susanna Donato in college. She writes the Cheap Like Me Blog where you'll find endless ways to save money and the environment.

And I know the rules say five, but there's one more person I have to add. Hal Amen from Wayworded. His recent photos of roads traveled, landscapes (including the South Dakota Badlands which hold a special significance for me) just got me.

So tag, you're it. Thanks again to Audrey and Dan for tagging me.

 

Breastfeeding Is Creepy: The Middle Ground?

Earlier this week, I published an article on Matador Life titled Uberboober VS Formula Funbag: Choose Your Weapon. Who knew by the end of the day, I'd be interviewed by the BBC because of what I wrote?

 
Yes, it did bother me to hear Kathryn Blundell, deputy editor of Mother & Baby Magazine, call breastfeeding creepy. Why? Because it feels like a personal attack. I breastfed Lila for almost two and a half years. So then you must think I'm creepy too?

As I read more about Ms. Blundell's article, I began to see beyond the surface layer of words and to what I think is the core of the matter. We moms are too often put in a position of defending our parenting choices. Most times, it feels no matter what we choose, we will be wrong.

While still living in Brooklyn, I started a mother's group. Ok, it was for all parents, but rarely did a dad appear at our get togethers. We met for coffee, play dates, nights out, but mainly it was a place to go for support. In my two years running that group, I never once heard a woman badmouth another mother's parenting choices.

Common experience leads to common support, not discord. That is how it should be.

Then I Got the E-mail from Claudia Bradshaw

Claudia produces the BBC's World Have Your Say live radio show. She asked if I'd be willing to go on air and discuss Kathryn's statements.

Abso-freakin-lutely!

You can listen to or download the entire program on the WHYS website. It will only be available until next Wednesday when a new show airs and you have to scroll down to find the Breastfeeding is Creepy download link.

The Discussion Continues

Another woman speaking on the show with me, Morgan Gallagher, felt she was not allowed to discuss what she wanted. When she brought up the dangers of formula feeding, she was cut out of the show altogether, and thus did not take part in the African broadcast segment of the show. 

Since then, a Facebook group called The Final Straw, sprung up to support Morgan. They ask that the BBC apologize and grant her the right to share her views, particularly to the African population. Since she was not able to share on the radio, she tells her side of the story in her most recent blog post. You'll note in the comments, Chloe, one of the World Have Your Say producers and Ros Atkins, the show's live moderator, respond to Morgan.

I do not see the situation in quite the same way as Morgan. I tend to see a middle ground, but I would love to continue the discussion. Morgan has expressed the same on her post.

I look forward to talking more.

Photo by James Kendall of the Pistoleers and Random Duck

How-To Blog When PR & Marketing Just Aren't Your Bag

Call it a taste of sour grapes, call it what you want, but the state of blogging frustrates me. Then again, maybe I simply need to figure out the real reasons why I blog.

This past week, we had three sets of travel bloggers staying with us. Dan & Audrey from Uncornered Market, Jason & Aracely from Two Backpackers and Craig & Linda Martin from Indie Travel Podcast. So of course, the topic of blogging, the travel blog community and the ins-and-outs of running a successful blog dominated at least some of the conversation.

My opinion? I'm frustrated. Too often it seems that content takes second seat to marketing and public relations. A recent article on Problogger titled Poor Bloggers Focus Too Much On Blog Posts highlights this further saying content should generally be only about one-third of your focus if you choose to actually support yourself with blogging.

As a writer, I find this depressing. 

Beyond that, I may not support myself through my blog, but I most certainly do not consider myself "poor" in quality or in what I get in return from this blog.

Is it really more about how many Twitter followers you have, the reach of your StumbleUpon subscribers and the number of your RSS feed?

If so, often the things required of you to up your numbers appear disingenuous. Say you're a dedicated travel blogger, someone who writes at least one post a week and reads other travel blogs to stay abreast of what's being said and done out there in the world of travel blogging.

Now ask that travel blogger how many posts they read where they know a majority of the other commenters because, not a surprise, they're also travel bloggers. I've written about this before when I asked the question if maybe, just perhaps, travel blogging has jumped the shark.

What are the reasons you blog?

As with so many things in life, it all comes down to expectation. Why do you blog? There are so many possible reasons.

To support yourself and your travels.

To be part of a community.

To be read.

To publicize work you do outside of (travel) blogging.

To present your opinions and ideas.

To meet other travelers.

I don't think any one way is de facto better or worse than another if you are clear about what and why you're doing it. But each way of blogging brings with it certain realities and consequences.

If you blog to support yourself, you must also market and publicize yourself. For many of us, that means doing things that we'd perhaps rather not do. If you blog simply to meet other people and choose to forgo the marketing and commenting inherent to that, you accept that it's unlikely you'll have as much traffic as a well publicized site no matter how stellar your content.

Why Do I Blog?

Three main reasons.

The first: To connect with other bloggers, travelers.

Right now, we have seven people staying with us, four of whom blog. Last week, Uncornered Market was here too. It is unlikely I would have met any of these people without my blog and time spent on Twitter. That would be a shame.

We have a lot in common. We travel. We blog. We enjoy long dinners with wine and as travelers tend to have a similar laid back outlook on life.

Another thing? Travelers tend to be fantastic guests. They're mellow, respectful, help out and always offer to replace whatever it is they use.

The second reason: I'm a writer, and I want people to read my writing.

I admit, I don't spend enough time on Feedburner or any of the other statistics counters -- another must-do if you want to do this professionally -- to know how many people read my blog. If it's 100 people who regularly read my writing, then I am happy.

The third: To connect with people outside my daily life.

Every week, I receive e-mails from readers letting me know what's going on in their lives. . You are the people who choose to spend your time reading what I have to say for no other reason than you want to. It is humbling.

I often have to remind myself of these reasons.

Sometimes, I forget myself and begin to wonder why I don't find myself appearing on lists of popular bloggers. Or why some weeks I don't have as many hits as others. Too often, I feel pressure to comment more, market and publicize.

It stresses me out because I have other projects, a family, things I enjoy doing in my real life, and I really don't know where I can find the time to do these things I ultimately don't want to do.

Marketing and PR are not my forte. Of course, I could decide that I do want to support myself blogging and learn the trade anyway. But I decided to go a different direction. I blog for my reasons. It works for me. For now.

After all is said and done, what are your reasons for blogging?

Photos by meddygarnet & antigone78.

Sometimes #FollowFriday Comes On Monday: Kelly Diels' Cleavage

I read literally hundreds of blogs. From travelers to expats to writers to foodies to science and art. There are very few, though, that I read every single day. Kelly Diels' blog is one of those. This is one very good reason why.

Ok, so she's personable, funny. She's the mom of a six-year-old and the mom of a Layla. Two different kids for her, but you see the overlap? But I promise, it's not just navel-gazing that draws me to her site.

Recently, I've been thinking a lot more about guest posting for other websites. There are a few already in the works, but many of those sort of fell into my lap. They are also all within the travel-blogging sphere. I'd like to branch out and maybe write for a writing site?

So I began where I always do when I need an answer. I turned to the internet.

Thing is, many of the bigger websites where I'd like to publish make it very difficult to pitch your guest ideas. Some even tell you flat out not to bother because they only accept guest posts by submission. Let me also add, that if you are considering guest posting and run into this, ignore it. Submit anyway. Worst you can get is no answer or a no. But if you don't try, it's definitely not gonna happen. Not that I'm the best at taking my own advice in this vein, so let's just say I'm saying it as much for my own benefit as yours.

Anyway, back to Kelly. See, it already feels as if I know her better simply by writing this post.

I was becoming somewhat discouraged by the state of guest posting when literally minutes later the following blog post appeared in my inbox: Help! I Need Advice About Guest Posting!

In this article, Kelly invites you to post your questions about guest blogging. She then answers them from her personal experience as a regular guest blogger for Problogger, then turns to the many other bloggers she knows to add their two cents.

Basically, you get a free seminar on one of the most overwhelming parts of blogging that also allows for personal interaction with an already very busy blogger as well as insight from her community of bloggers.

Kudos, Kelly. I tend to be pretty cynical, and now you have me all moony-eyed.

My question? How do I guest blog for you?

16+ Twitterers of Note To Mention On Follow Friday!

Happy Follow Friday! Today, I want to take a moment to make special note of people I know on Twitter and other social media outlets to say thank you. I'm happy to know you all!

Some are old friends. Some new. Some I’ve met in person. Others I know only through various social media channels.  All are people who not only have something interesting and unique to say but say it with a positive attitude.

When I first started on Twitter, I mentioned quite a few people like @umarket, @fogandthistle, @skydiver, @travelojos, @couchsurfingori all of whom I felt then and still find to be at the heart of what the very best of Twitter and social media can be.

Since then, my Twitter following has grown from 50 people to almost 4500. What frustrates me about #followfriday is how impossible it is to mention everyone I feel should be mentioned. Even so, I’d like to take today to bring attention to just a small group of those people I see on Facebook and Twitter, not daily, not even monthly, but people who I feel fortunate to have met.

@2morrowknight aka I don't know?
His Website: http://2morrowknight.blogspot.com 

 I didn't know 2morrowknight had been reading my blog at all until one day it appeared in his Huffington Post column: 12 Awesome Twitterers Who Rock the Planet. Wow! I simply cannot tell you how touched I was to be included in that list.

Since then, we have connected more on Twitter and Facebook where his streams are always full of poignant pertinent and well written information. One of my favorite articles is his No, Not My America. You Mean Our America, where he addresses the "shameful and criminally irresponsible attacks on President Obama."

@adbert aka Adrian Bertolini
His Website: http://adbert.posterous.com

Adrian is a sweetheart. Always with his Holitas! to say hello and a wicked stream on both Twitter and Blip.fm. He always has something worthwhile to offer. I almost had the chance to meet him when we traveled to Cordoba this past July. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, but he is top of my list of many reasons to visit again.

@Journeywoman aka Evelyn Hannon
Her Website: http://journeywoman.com

Even as CEO of the largest online travel resource for women, Evelyn always makes time to say hello and chat. I feel like I've known her for years, and I can't wait to meet her, whenever that may be. When you visit her site, be sure to sign up for her free tip newsletter going to 67,600 women in 100 countries. It's always packed with unique and useful information.

@lisarogak aka Lisa Rogak
Her Website: http://lisarogak.com

I recently connected with Lisa through Help A Reporter. She was working on a story about Miami International Airport. I was happy to supply her with a list of reasons why I hate that airport. She replied with the kindest e-mail.

It impressed me how a woman who has 40 books under her belt, countless articles and an incredibly busy travel schedule took the time to write, not just a quick e-mail, but one really asking questions to get to know me.

@wildjunket aka Nellie Huang
Her Website: http://wildjunket.com

Nellie wrote to me last year when she visited Salta. Soon after meeting, we sat talking about everything from travel and travel blogging to marriage to our families and more. She is an incredibly well traveled woman who writes wonderfully about the places she's been. Nellie was also kind enough to include me in her list of favorite Latin American Blogs.

@nerdseyeview aka Pam Mandel
Her Website: Nerd's Eye View

I don’t know Pam that well, but I do know she always has something insightful and thoughtful to say on her blog, in her Blogher blogs and everywhere else.

Last year’s Passports With Purpose, put together in conjunction with Debbie Dubrow  -- @deliciousbaby, Beth Whitman -- @wanderluster --  and Michelle Duffy -- @wandermom -- represents the very best of travel writing and social media. Plus a whole host of other participating bloggers.

How's that for building community?

@Travelinggreen aka Sonya?
The Website: http://travelinggreener.com

I first heard of Traveling Green through StumbleUpon when I saw a review of one of my blog posts by her. Then found her on Twitter. There's not a lot of personal identifying information, but clearly this blogger spends a a good amount of time searching and finding the best travel and eco-information on the internet. When I see the little green trembling aspen leaf icon, I make sure to see what's going on.

Then, of course, there’s the entire Matador Team.

Explore this list to find some of the most amazing writers, photographers, videographers and travelers on the internet. A group of people who truly think and live positively and freely but with humor. They help others and all have been such inspiration for me in writing and life.

I know there are plenty people I've missed. Such is the nature of lists such as these. So please, help me fill out this list with your favorite Twitters.

Do Viral Campaigns Really Help Fight Cancer or Save the Environment?

"Going viral" has become the holy grail of the internet these days. Everyone wants to find or create the video, photo or contest that will bring millions of hits and downloads, lead to network television interviews and all in all create an overnight star sensation. But beyond attention grubbing, do they do any good?

This question has been on my mind a lot of late. With Matador Life now on my plate of daily delicacies to do, I find myself sorting through endless articles, videos and photos trying to decide what should be posted on the Life blog and what should not. Each individual thread, cause, or idea demands attention and after a while, I find it very difficult to pay attention.

Today, for example, is a day to focus on climate and our environment. The Guardian along with fifty-five other papers in addition to countless blogs, websites and general media, have banded their voices together in a call for action from world leaders for climate change.

Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet and with it our prosperity and security," begins the editorial. The dangers have been becoming apparent for a generation.

Julie Shwietert from  Matador Change urges us to take responsibility and clean up after ourselves in her editorial response to a New York Times op-ed article written by Suketa Mehta in relation to the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster.

There are plenty other causes as well.

Last week, a fun and heartwarming video called the Pink Gloves Dance for Breast Cancer Awareness emerged from the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon.

Mashable reported that the video had gone viral along with information of an FOX network performance with the dancers.

A sweet video of a soldier greeted by his dog Grace on his return from war caused an uproar a few weeks earlier, so much so that the soldier involved ended up begging for his privacy and to be left alone.

It begins to seem, at times, that going viral becomes the story, but what effect does such virulence have on the actual causes? Does awareness lead to action? Or does the blaring sound of media simply leave us numb?

What do you think?

Photo by HH-Michael

Blogging For Publicity: Watch Helplessly as Travel Blogging Jumps the Shark

This weekend I quickly logged onto Twitter to see what’s what and was shocked to see some of the biggest names in travel blogging having a massive pissing match for all the world to see. There was name calling, accusations of abuse, attention whoring and generally showing a complete and utter lack of respect for each other.

This strikes me as the online travel blogging equivalent of two vice presidents screaming obscenities at each other from opposite sides of the building lobby.  It's unprofessional. It's childish. And I'm not entirely sure what it is meant to accomplish.

"It’s a publicity stunt,"said Noah.

Absolutely. But publicity for what? 

This particular shouting match centered on the #followmeatsea hashtag. In short, a small number of top travel and industry Twitterers have been invited onto a Princess Cruise. Great publicity for all involved. People tweet about their experiences on the cruise. Cruise lines advertise the twitterers. Nice exchange, right?

The other side of the debate goes as such.

First, that cruise ships bring too many people, too much waste and suck enormous resources from tiny islands. Idea being, cruises are generally bad for locals and the environment.

Second, there's doubt as to whether those tweeting will be entirely honest, being that they're being sponsored by the very group they're writing about. That would be the Twitter #twethics debate. Will sponsored journalists really report or are they just paid parrots?

There is much of value to discuss here, and in fact, you can find many people discussing these very things all over the internet.

Matador Network recently published an article by award winning travel writer David Page that discussed whether Freebies Undermine Honesty In Travel Writing with a fabulous many sided discussion in the comments that follow.

Another blog favorite of mine, Traveling Greener, offers endless topics on eco-travel along with resources for research to fuel a well informed debate. Traveling Greener's Twitter page provides even more information.

Yet I get this niggling feeling none of this weekend's shouting has to do with a desire for open discussion and debate. It seems to be more of a naked grab for attention.

This is a subject I’ve thought quite a bit about since somehow becoming a travel blogger myself.

Writing about travel wasn’t’ something I set out to do but was really a logical conclusion to my being a writer with an internet and website design work history embarking on a three year journey.

I’ve often thought about what it would take to be a top, money-making travel blogger. Much of which I'm willing to do. I am willing to seek out and write what I believe to be superlative content. I enjoy making contact with other bloggers and do my best to publicize other’s great content through the travel blogging world.

What I have not been willing to do is engage in the endless debates across the internet when it seems that the main purpose of the debate is for self-promotion and does little to further community or real discussion.  Unfortunately, too often, blog comments are just a sneaky way of saying "Hey, look at me! Leave this here blog and come see what amazing, wonderful things I'm doing on MINE!"

I also find myself frustrated when I spend time reading on other travel blogs, only to see the same small group of people commenting and discussing with each other, hawking their personal experiences as the end all and be all and creating controversy where there need be none.

Somewhere in there, the real issues drown and disappear.

I have absolutely no problem with readers sharing their experiences in comments on my blog or elsewhere. I welcome and relish it.  Your comments allow me to stay in touch with what other writers, bloggers and readers are doing and thinking.  I always appreciate a well placed comment that leads me to a valuable, necessary resource.

It’s a balance. We need people viewing our pages in order to have any real attention brought to the topics, causes and ideologies we want to support. But at what point does the balance shift toward selfish navel gazing?

Photo courtesy of rockmixer's Flickrstream

Welcome To World Blog Surf Day & Holidays Away From Home

Welcome once again to World Blog Surf Day! Take a tour around the blog-world as you link from country-to-country, expat-to-expat learning about one particular topic.

I took part last time when we discussed food. Now, we're describing holidays and celebrations in our new country. This time, though, WBSD catches me in an off mood. I've just started a new job, moved to a new house, just returned from 2 months in the US with family and I find myself off balance and out of sorts. I've had an equally difficult time getting my head around the holidays here in Salta and Argentina in general.

It seems there's a new one just about every week. Saints, soldiers, politicians. Holiday! A war begins, a war ends, a break in the war. Holiday! And while we've asked around for some sort of calendar of events, no one seems to have one. Yet everyone else seems to know about the holidays in advance.

We find out when we show up at Lila's school to find it vacant, doors shut and locked.

Then came October 12, Dia de la Raza.

Day of Race, I believe would be a adequate translation.

It's also called Día de las Culturas in Costa Rica, Día de las Américas in Uruguay. Día de la Resistencia Indígena in Venezuela. And Columbus Day in the United States.

Yes, Columbus Day. A day I can't remember celebrating ever. It is not a day off school. It is not a day stores are closed. It's really just a bank holiday, which general means very little to those of us bank-unaffiliated folk.

Even the most cursory knowledge of Native America culture, though, tells you this day is not a day of joy. In fact, there's been great opposition in even naming this day a holiday in the United States because of the connection with cultural genocide, murder, rape and kidnapping. Somehow the traditional United States public holiday of barbecues and going to the movies seems particularly unfitting, especially since Columbus never even set foot in North America

All of this would explain why I was shocked to learn October 12 is a true day off in Argentina.

Then again, why not? Renaming while still observing a holiday seeks to reposition the meaning of the day. It represents another side of history. In 2004, a pro-Chavez mob toppled a statue of Columbus in Caracas symbolically overthrowing the old regime as a statue of Saddam Hussein had been similarly brought down the year before in Baghdad.

In other countries, Dia de las Americas and Dia de la Resistencia Indigena focus on the culture existing in these great lands long before a European foot touched ground.

Myself, I often wonder how different South America would have been had European influence not arrived.

De la Raza is a day to commemorate another side of history, one only briefly touched in my high school history classes. This is not the day the Spanish conquistador entered a new land, claiming it for himself and his queen, but a day to remember how entire groups of people were murdered and enslaved.

It's a solemn day, a day of retrospection and a day during which all of us -- whatever the race, culture and affiliation -- can look inward and reflect.

Is it possible to reclaim a holiday in such a way? Does it truly allow all sides of the history to be represented? Let me know what you think in comments below.

* * *

As for World Blog Surf Day, I imagine many of the other blogs involved in this month's World Blog Surf Day will describe the wild and wonderful celebrations from all other countries, so forgive me for taking the tone down. I hope it has been a worthwhile deviation.

Now on with the festivities at Expanish Blog where you can learn everything you need to know about living and learning Spanish in Buenos Aires. You can also follow along at Empty Next Expat's Twitterstream to hear more as the day unfolds.

Wanted poster courtesy of bionicteaching

Roadtripping Argentina and USA: Tips, Tricks and Technology

We’re coming to the close of our Argentina roadtrip during which I've written about Twitter tips for visiting beautiful Cordoba, my first skiing adventure and a bizarre Walmart sighting in Nuequen.

Coming up, more information on Nuequen, Argentina's so-called Portal to Patagonia as well as traveling Argentina by bus.  I’ll also cover a visit to San Martin de los Andes, including details of how to navigate Chapelco family ski resort and local advice for where to stay and rent your ski or snowboard equipment.

Right now, though, I’m in Buenos Aires, staying at Hostel Colonial. It’s tagged as a youth hostel specifically for backpackers, but we decided to try it out as a family. So far, it’s been lovely. We arrived early this morning after the long bus ride from Nuequen, relaxed over breakfast while our room was prepared and now we’re taking our own sweet time getting ready to go out. But this is Buenos Aires, Argentina. Even for a big city, life is tranquilo here, especially on a Sunday. There’s no need to rush.

If you're nearby, please join me for  Buenos Aires Tweet up!  Details are still to be determined, but right now, it’s looking like tomorrow night, Monday, July 20 at 9pm, somewhere in Palermo.  I’ll  post more here soon, but if you’d like, you can also contact my through @thefutureisred, my Twitter account.

As for my fellow roadtrip-bloggers, Kelly, Peter and Pam of TbexRoadtrip, they’re on day four of their trip. I’ve been reading along with them as they make their way from Seattle to Chicago for the Travel Blog Exchange Convention.  Today, it appears they’re just leaving Yellowstone National Park.

One feature of the TbexRoadtrip  I wanted to share. They’ve developed an amazing Interactive Roadtrip Map that allows you to follow along with them through Twitter as well as see their photos from Flickr. I mention this not only because it’s a wonderful way to interact with their trip but it’s also a wonderful use of the technology. They’ve incorporated Google Maps, GPS tracking, Flicker and Twitter to create fantastically detailed updates through a wonderfully user friendly blog interface.

Perfect for those of us who want to stay connected to their trip, suggest places to visit and eat or perhaps offer them a place to stay. It’s also an excellent use of the myriad technologies and gadgets available for bloggers. 

Photo courtesy of MishiMoshiMoshi's Flickrstream

The Beautiful Cordoba, Argentina: Twitter Tips For Your Visit

If Salta is compared to a beautiful woman, then Cordoba should be her sophisticated older cousin.

How happy am I that we decided to break up the 24 hour bus trip to Patagonia with a day or two stop in this beautiful city. Cordoba offers a comfortable mix of modern and old. Where else can you walk into a Belle Epoque building to enjoy Saturday night bowling under black lighting. We arrived July 9th, Argentina's Independence Day, so almost everything was closed, but this didn't stop us from wandering the cobblestone streets and peatonales -- pedestrian walkways -- in the warm winter sunshine.

As our bus pulled out of Salta, I twittered a quick message to say I was on my way to Cordoba. Soon after, I received tweets from two different Twitter friends.

The first, Angela, also know as @santelmoloft on Twitter, originally from LA who is now living in Buenos Aires and has a lovely blog on the city. Her response to my Tweet?

"I love Cordoba," she told me. "There's a little known treasure for people who like folklore music... the house of the great Atahualpa Yupanqui." 

Turns out, his house is approximately 150 kilometers outside Cordoba city in Cerro Colorado, He alternated between living here and his place in Buenos Aires.  Perfect for a jaunt into Cordoba province if you have more than a day to spend in Cordoba.

The second, Adrian Bertolini, a.k.a @adbert, Shorty Awards finalist, Posterous blogger, top Twitterer in Argentina and, what strikes me most, an unbelievably warm person. He suggested I check out the churches. We checked out Manzana Jesuitica and the Cordoba Cathedral right off the main Plaza San Martin.

He also suggested Paseo Buen Pastor, an area for drinking, going out, museums, art and more, and the Cordoba flea market or "mercardo de pulgares."

We made tentative plans to meet for happy hour in Buen Pastor, but we unfortunately ran out of time  before rushing for our overnight bus to Nuequen. But now I have far more than one reason to return to Cordoba.

How Local Information Improves Your Roadtrip: An Experiment

We're on the move again. This time, we've just packed up our place in Salta to head back to the US after a quick roadtrip down to Patagonia, some skiing and then back to Buenos Aires before heading back to Atlanta for the summer.

It just happens that as we're leaving Salta, my fellow blogger Kelly Goodman of Travellious fame will also be roadtripping her way through the United States from Seattle to Chicago to join up with the July 26th Travel Blog Exchange Convention.

Kelly and I have been chatting lately about the benefits of local information to the wary traveler. How solid, friendly local information that leads you off the tourist path not only enriches your trip, but allows you to make friends and forge relationships.

We've both met countless people through Twitter, and a few weeks ago, she asked me to write a Newbie's Guide to Couchsurfing. Through our discussions, we came up with the idea of following our respective roadtrips, showing our contacts with locals through Twitter, Couchsurfing and other sources. We'll show you how our travel experiences have been helped., improved, possible confused, hurt or completely changed through these local contacts of ours, hopefully providing ample fodder for fun, travel tips and will be a good learning experience for all involved.

And in late July/early June, I'll write a guest post for Travellious of tips, thoughts, ideas, mistakes and all else to summarize what we've learned over the summer.

Of course, feel free to e-mail, comment or tweet any thoughts or advice you may have along the way.

Our itinerary is as a follows.

July 8  Leave Salta on the overnight bus to Cordoba

July 9-10 Explore Cordoba. The churches, flea markets, peatonales.

July 10 Leave Cordoba on the overnight bus to Nuequen

July 11 Relax for the day in Nuequen. Rent a car.

July 12 Drive our rented car to San Martin de los Andes, known for being a good, local family ski place. We're renting a little cabin here for the week and will spend it by the fire, cooking meals from local produce and skiing. May I just mention, this will only be my second time skiing ever.

July 18 Return to Nuequen where we drop off the car and pick up yet another overnight bus, this time to Buenos Aires.

July 19 Arrive in Buenos Aires. We'll be staying at Hostel Colonial where I'll be writing a story about family stays at hotels.

July 21 Flight leaves for Atlanta.

Kelly and her two travelblog companions -- Peter Carey - @pwcarey on Twitter - and Pam of Nerd's Eye View --  leave Seattle July 16. Their itinerary takes them through Mount Rushmore and the South Dakota Badlands on the way -- two places that featured prominently in a roadtrip I took my senior year of college. My very first roadtrip. You can follow along with Kelly on Twitter as she travels with two other travel blog companions  on their way to the Travelblog Exchange convention.

I hope to see them all there. But I'll figure out the details of that particular trip once we're solidly back on US soil when I'll begin looking for cheap flights and places to stay in Chicago.

World Blog Food Day: When Pancakes Drive You Wild

Welcome to World Blog Surf Day. Where you start at one blog and surf from one to another, one expat to the next, making your way around the world. South America. Japan. Phillipines. Canada. Bulgaria. Czechoslovakia. Turkey. And you'll have to ride the wave of blogs to explore the rest.

For those of you visiting here for the first time, please subscribe to my RSS feed or if you prefer subscribe to have posts e-mailed directly to you.

This year's World Blog Food Day theme: Food. Foods we love. Foods we hate. Foods we miss. And foods we'll share with you. Food in Argentina is excellent. Asados, empanadas, pizzas, picadas and dulce de leche. 

Saltenos boast the best empanadas on the planet.  While I may be biased, I would be hard pressed to disagree. They're smaller than the empanadas you find in other countries and you have your choice of cheese, meat and chicken. Sometimes you'll also find corn and tuna. Sometimes, you'll find them fried, but most times baked. Some of the best I've had were at a place called Casa de Empanadas off the main square in Cafayate. There, you'll find varieties such as mixed vegetables flavored with Torrontes white wine or a four cheese that includes goat and blue cheese.

Empanadas, though, are never, and I repeat never, sweet. To suggest a sweet empanada -- say with a pie crust dough filled with gooey apples or chocolate and banana -- is tantamount to treason. It is not even a funny joke.

Picadas: a selection of meats, cheeses, maybe throw in some excellent olives grown in the Cafayate region and serve with a glass of wine. The wine in Argentina compares favorably to the best vineyards in the word.

Still, I often find myself fantasizing about foods found in the United States, especially breakfast.

Argentinian breakfasts consist of strong, excellent coffee and usually some toast, maybe a croissant-like creature called a media luna and, well, that's it. Your toast will come with marmelade or dulce de leche. Your coffee will be heavily sugared.

I crave big American breakfasts of eggs, meat, cheese, toast with butter. Maybe an omelette, fried eggs. Oh, and egg sandwiches. The deli near our place in Brooklyn made the best egg and cheese on a kaiser roll known to man. A true Brooklyn speciality.

I also love the early morning brunches at Cafe Luluc on Smith Street. Trust me, order the pancakes. Or Bar Tabac  (WARNING: this website plays very loud music) on the other side of Smith, a French bistro with a fresh juicy burger on a brioche roll and moules frites.

Desserts in Argentina tend toward cayote, squash preserves, served with walnuts or quesillo, a fresh cheese similar to mozzarella, with honey, figs or other sweet syrupy concoctions. It's very good, but to an American dessert lover, cannot satisfy like cheesecake and canoli at Monteleone's on Court Street.

Of course, no discussion about Brooklyn food would be complete without a mention of Sahadi's on Atlantic Avenue. Their selection of cheese rivals any gourmet shop in the city and is much cheaper. The best part, though, is the dry goods section where you take a number then wait your turned to choose from bin after bin of nuts, dried fruits, candy and so much more. I was always amazed at the patience of the men working the counter. No matter how busy, no matter how many customers waiting in line, they always smile, never rush you and never fail to offer you a taste of this or that.

Now as I end this review of Brooklyn and Argentinian food, I want to present a new feature to The Future Is Red. I want to start introducing you to the other blogs i love to follow. This week, I can think of only one that deserves it's place in a list of favorite foods.

Shannalees Food Loves Writing. I jump the second I see she's posted a new article. I love her recipes and writing, but the fantastic photos she posts of foods she makes and foods she finds in front of her at restaurants absolutely make my mouth water. Food porn is what I call this. These pancakes make me want to take my monitor to bed. 

Shanalee's site offers the clean, professional view of a chef -- even though she claims she can't really cook -- with the comfortable, homey feel of sitting having coffee in the kitchen with your best friend.

And now, onto the next blog for World Blog Surf Day. Onto CoCreatr, the tale of a German living in Japan.

Photos brought to you by blmurch, Sondyaustin and of course Shannalee's Food Loves Writing.

Blog Break: Family Comes First

As many of you know, my dad is having surgery tomorrow. I'm in Atlanta to help out as much as I can and really need to focus on what's going on here. Thus, I won't be able to post regularly for the next week.

I will be participating in World Blog Surf Day on June 13th, though -- a day for expat bloggers to talk about food and connect with other expat bloggers.

I'm the only one representing from South America!!! And I'll be featuring foods I love, foods I miss and maybe a bit of food porn, too.

Thank you to Sher of Czech of the Beaten Path and Anastasia Ashman of Expat Harem for setting up and arranging.

On this Memorial Day In Appreciation, In Gratitude.

I'll admit, I didn't think much about the significance of Memorial Day until relatively recently. I knew it to be a day off in remembrance of soldiers, but I never knew anyone who actually had been to war or sent their children to war. It was a day of barbeques, one of the first days off of the summer. 

Three separate people brought the true nature of Memorial Day to my attention.

The first: Laura McD. A woman I know through this blog. She's sweet, supportive, a really lovely person. I hear from her through Facebook and keep up with her photography on her blog. Right now, the main page shows a picture of Laura, her husband and her son the day before her son started basic training. Through Laura, I've come to gain just a little understanding of what it's like to know that your child is away fighting. It takes tremendous faith.

The second: I met this guy in Bocas del Toro, Panama. He had been in Iraq but discharged early because of a tank explosion in which he lost a leg. He spent months in hospital recovering and eventually made his way to Bocas. It's unfortunate, because Bocas is a place many go to hide or escape. Clearly, this soldier's time in Iraq left other wounds and not once did I see this person sober. I hope he is able to find his way.

Then, third, I met another soldier through Couchsurfing. His name is Charles.This man, only 25 years old, is unbelievably well traveled. Albania, Lesotho, Hong Kong and has lived in tens of places as well. He calls Baghdad home now. Charles writes of his personal life philosophy of mutual respect and understanding, of general being decent and focusing on here, now, today.

I often picture the world as a huge map. Some people stay in one place. Others shuttle back and forth, go here to there, never stay still. Paths move together, intersect, you meet, then the paths lead away again. I somehow doubt I'll ever see that boy from Bocas again, but you never know. Charles and Laura, perhaps we will meet one day. I have come to believe that anything is possible and with enough patience, time has a way of bringing those together who want to be together.

One last thing. The Map of the Fallen, a map of those who have died in service with lines linking from where they served to where they were born and lived. It looks amazingly like the map in my head.  There's great power in actually seeing the faces of those who have fought and died, and great pain in knowing that because of their duty, we will not cross paths again on this planet.

Writer, Photographer and Traveler Andy Hayes Interviews The Future Is Red

Welcome to those of you finding your way here through Andy Hayes' Sharing Experiences Travel website. While you're here, you can subscribe to my feed or have subscribe to my e-mail list to have new posts e-mailed directly to you.

To all my current readers, I recently met Andy Hayes through Twitter. I believe I posted something about my frustration with the reams -- although I'm not sure such a metaphor applies anymore -- of e-mail in my Outlook. He offered advice.

 As we chatted further, it seems we have more even more in common. Andy is a seasoned traveler, writer, photographer and is just about to launch his full time services as a traveler writer and adviser for websites, blogs and travel companies.

I'm a particular fan of his photography section which includes an aerial view of Herald Square in NYC. How did you take that one, Andy? A helicopter over Manhattan island?

Now there are many people out there who are doing similar things to Andy, but here's why he sticks out to me. First, he's an unbelievably decent guy. Not saying the others aren't, I am, however, saying that his attitude and character, his willingness to help stand out above the rest. I also love that his blog is called Sharing Experiences. Andy's business isn't just about offering services for money, it's about community building. Along with links to his previous customers, you'll find interviews, links and other information for travel blogs and worldwide internet resources. You can also submit your own blogs and articles to his Travel Blog Carnival, an aggregation of the top travel articles on the web.

So when Andy asked if he could interview me for his website, I jumped at the chance. There, we chat about how Noah, Lila and I decided to leave Brooklyn and what destination was most inspirational. Hint: The picture above, courtesy of PictFactory, comes from there.

Want to read the rest? Here you go: Andy Hayes' full interview with The Future Is Red.