Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #11 – 2012 March

Published 2012/03/28 by Andrew Adi C. with 13 Comments
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At last, the weather is warming up, and Spring is in full swing!

So it’s perfect that today’s carnival entries include plenty of vacation ideas, including a new spin on the very idea of what a vacation can be. Perhaps even more importantly, some of today’s entries reflect on the concept of “home” itself.

If you’ve submitted to the BTBC in the past, you may have noticed that BlogCarnival.com was down for the past few weeks. If you meant to submit but couldn’t because of the outage, please submit a quality piece to be considered for the next BTBC which will be coming in May, which I think be an especially big one.

The Best of BTBC #11

If you’re new to blog carnivals, they’re one of the best ways to discover awesome new content you never would have discovered otherwise. And each time I publish a BTBC, I love to highlight three articles that really stick with me, ones you shouldn’t miss. This time I’d like to highlight:

  1. An Evening Out in Monmarte and Pigalle Paris by Shanna Schultz is an interesting glimpse into Paris’ Red District, including some great safety tips. Interestingly, she describes it as “a place where one could straddle the line between normal and risque…like you could dip your toes into the dark pool that is the sultry seductive pool of Paris’ other side.” Definitely an interesting read.
  2. How I Went From Teaching High School To Traveling Around North America… by Tathata is a disarmingly honest and raw tale about how a great adventure, letting a man named Adi go (a different Adi, not me), and an auto shop led one writer to a completely new understanding of what “pain” and “beauty” really are.
  3. Only in Norway: Some lessons I’ve learned from living up here by Andy Higgs is a fun examination of the many quirks and wonders of what its like to live in Norway. According to the article, even though not everyone has a cabin and a boat to zip about in (as the rumors say), everyone can get up to a year of maternity leave. Yes, a year. And on a completely unrelated note, the Norwegian brown cheese apparently does grow on you. (Not literally, though!)

A Reminder & A Win-Win-Win

And before I forget, if one of your articles is in this month’s edition, I’d really appreciate it if you could retweet, stumble, and “Like” this carnival on Facebook. Remember, spreading the word multiplies the reach of this blog carnival which in turn helps more people discover your article and grows your site. (And if you aren’t yet a submitter, find out how you too can join in farther down.)

Thanks again for submitting to the BTBC. By doing so, you reach many people, many of which have never even seen your site before, so it’s a real win-win-win situation.

So, without further ado, let’s explore the wonders of Norway, Paris’ Red Light District, the surprises of Ottawa, the picturesque streets of Lisbon, and beyond…

Travel Destinations

Shanna Schultz presents:
An Adult Evening Out in Monmarte and Pigalle Paris (Paris’ Red Light District) posted at There and Back Again, saying,

“Our evening out in Monmarte and Pigalle Paris (Paris’ Red Light District) as well as some great ideas to help you plan your visit.”

Theresa Torres presents:
Top 7 Eco Friendly Travel Destinations posted at Lodging World, saying,

“If you’re planning to travel and prefer somewhere closer to nature, here are 7 great destinations for you to enjoy the natural environment and local culture.”

Travel Photography

Sarah presents:
Lisbon Romance posted at Natsumi.

Travel Stories

Mayan Story TabletTathata presents:
How I Went From Teaching High School To Traveling Around North America To Returning Home To Work In An Autoshop posted at That Which Really Is, saying,

“In 2010, I left my job and promising career, got rid of most of my belongings, left my city, and took to the road to work with horses on ranches around the US and Canada. I aimed to learn everything I could about horses, and ended up learning a lot more about myself.”

Anwar presents:
Gunpowder Plot Day posted at Beyond My Front Door, saying,

“The history of the Gunpowder plot, how the day has changed, and my experience of it when I traveled to the UK in November.”

Andy Higgs presents:
Only in Norway… Some lessons I’ve learned from living up here posted at Grown-up Travel Guide.

Travel Tips

Hayley Picchini presents:
Volunteer Vacations – Give, Enjoy, and Rejuvenate All At Once posted at Classy Not Pricey, saying,

“Information on alternative travel opportunities that include a component of giving back and volunteerism.”

Hayley Picchini presents:
From Romania to Israel to Paris – Traveling for free with miles, points, and other tricks posted at Classy Not Pricey, saying,

“Key tips for earning points & miles to travel (at the international level) for free.”

Anwar presents:
Five Fun things to do in Ottawa in the Winter posted at Beyond My Front Door, saying,

“Tips on what to do in Ottawa during the long cold winters as seen from my trip there in the winter of 2012.”

Theresa Torres presents:
Traveling Without Breaking Your Bank Account posted at Digital Photo Buzz, saying,

“There are plenty of ways we can save on our travels. Here are some suggestions on how we can enjoy ourselves without breaking the bank.”


Care to grow your blog’s audience?

If you write well (and you’ve written something that relates to travel), and you haven’t submitted to the BTBC before, can I ask you a question? What are you waiting for? Blog Carnivals are an amazing and free way to get more exposure to your work, so you’d be silly not to take advantage of this opportunity.

I know this from firsthand experience because blog carnivals have been helpful in spreading the word about Byteful Travel. So if you’re a writer, and you’ve written something that relates to travel, submit a piece you’re proud of to the next BTBC by going to the submission form. Just remember to read the ground rules. (And to see past posts and future hosts, check the blog carnival index.)

Also, if you enjoyed the carnival, you’ll probably enjoy the Byteful Travel Weekly Recap, as well. It automatically collects the best content from writers I’ve hand-picked from around the web (most of which I’ve discovered because they’ve submitted to the BTBC).

Coming up on Byteful Travel:

Soon we explore the wonders of a verdant Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, complete with a hidden sea monster. And not long after that, we explore Las Vegas, so be sure to subscribe and stay in touch. And until next time, may your travels enlighten your soul to fresh insights, new connections, and powerful experiences.

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Thanks for sharing the traveller spirit!

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Read related articles:
  1. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #10 – 2012 Jan
  2. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #4 – 2010 Dec 14
  3. Byteful Travel Blog Carnival #7 – 2011 July 26

How I Became a Superhero: Steve’s Conscious Success Workshop & The Trailblazer

Published 2012/03/21 by Andrew Adi C. with 11 Comments
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Have you ever considered the possibility that you could be a superhero and just haven’t realized it yet?

I had to confront this possibility when I attended Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Success Workshop in January, and I came away with a surprising shift in my perspective.

At the workshop, we did plenty of eye-opening exercises, but one stood out in particular: The Ultimate Self Exercise. In it, we were to imagine the best version of ourselves, our superhero selves. Steve even gave us crayons of various colors so that we could draw out what our superhero would look like, and on the back of our drawing we were to write down our superhero’s powers and virtues. Once we finished, we were to go around the room and introduce ourselves as if we were our superhero, tell the other person about our powers, learn about their abilities, and then give them a high five.

The Birth of The Trailblazer

Needless to say, I was really excited. But I was also pretty nervous since I had no idea what my superhero would be.

I stared at a blank piece of paper and waited for something to come to mind. Well, my superhero would undoubtedly be a Master of Travel. He’d be completely fearless, completely adaptable, and would effortlessly inspire people around the world. He’d also be able to fly, but he wouldn’t have a cape because capes get caught in jet turbines and are generally a bad idea.

The Trailblazer superhero drawingI began drawing this idealized version of myself, and soon The Trailblazer was born.

And while the drawing to the right may have the artistic skill of a 4th grader, I think it gets the point across. It’s me, blonde hair and all, encompassing the world, carrying stories to inspire others along the way. (Later I felt better when I discovered that most other’s drawings were stick figures, as well.)

And I instantly loved the name The Trailblazer. It felt right.

Meeting some Great Supers

After about 5 minutes, Steve announced that time was up. Now was the moment of truth: it was time to share our superheroes with each other. I quickly wrote down my superhero powers and virtues. (This was actually easier than the drawing part. And although I only put 3, you can put as many as you want.)

Superpowers:

  1. Courageously explore the mysteries of any place I visit and any person who opens up to me
  2. Inspire people to embrace more freedom in their own lives
  3. Live/Adapt to anywhere. And can fly. (No capes.)

So naturally, my virtues were freedom, exploration, and wisdom, and I was excited to share The Trailblazer with the 50-60 other people in the room. In the process of sharing, I met many awesome superheroes that afternoon. Superheroes that had big hearts. Superheroes that were very creative and made beautiful works. And even some bizarre superheroes that had powers I can’t even remember. Best of all, almost all of them had the ability to give super hugs.

What are Superheroes, really?

Conscious Success Workshop 1 Group Photo - Day 3

The Superheroes of CSW

I’m glad Steve put this exercise at the end of Day 1 of the workshop because it helped build more group trust and cohesion—not to mention giving me a new perspective on myself and what I can become. It was then that I realized that superheroes truly do exist, that this exercise had opened up a new way of thinking about my personal growth over time. I realized that I am indeed a superhero in the making.

You can be, too. After all, people do amazing things all of the time. Some pluck people out of the fire or the sea. And some share ideas that powerfully affect the world. People save each other in various ways around the world every day. Superheroes exist, but we often don’t consider them superheroes.

At the end of Day 1, I took some time to sit alone and reflect on the drawing I’d created. If I continue down the path I’m on, how “super” could I become? How much more could I contribute and in what better ways? When I think about it, there are even some travel writers that I’d consider superheroes. Gary Arndt comes to mind. He’s been on the road for years exploring exotic places, adapting to different languages, arranging lodging and transportation, and still manages to write what seems like 97 articles per month.

Superheroes are people who seriously have it together, know what they want to create on a deep level, and continuously improve at their craft. And that’s the same path that I’m committed to. I know it takes years to become a well-rounded superhero, but I also know that I’ll get there because of how much I love what I do. All it takes is continuing down the path, and when I see how far I’ve come in the last few years, the progress that I see is really encouraging. My progress reminds me that Mastery is measured in hours and eventually comes as long as you stay on the path.

What about you? What does your ideal self look like? What’s your superhero name? What powers and virtues would the best version of you have? Try the exercise for yourself. I think you’ll find it enlightening. And then take some time every day to move a little bit closer to that person. After all, one tiny step a day multiplied by years turns into what seems to be one giant leap. And the time is going to pass, anyway, so why not focus on getting closer and closer to that person?

What’s the name of the superhero hiding inside of you?
C’mon, show us what you’ve got!

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