Living Abroad – Page 14 – VirtualWayfarer

BackpackingDecember 10, 2011December 10, 2011

Dining Manners and Etiquette – How To Use Your Knife and Fork Abroad

I just spent the evening ruining a perfectly good hamburger while trying to re-learn how to use my knife and fork. In an effort to immerse myself more completely during my time in Europe and Scandinavia I'm starting to try and eat like a European. Unfortunately, that means awkwardly using my knif…

BackpackingDecember 7, 2011

There and Back Again: Keeping in Touch With Family On Three Continents

I love technology. Sure, I may turn off my cell phone for some trips but at the end of the day, I'm incredibly grateful for the tech I have at my finger tips. With the wealth of problems the world is currently facing…

BackpackingNovember 30, 2011July 26, 2013

The Incredible Power of Social Networks Illustrated By Studying, Living and Travelling Abroad

Housing in Copenhagen When I signed the agreement and notified the University of Copenhagen that I was headed to Denmark I assumed I'd face a lot of challenges upon arrival. Things like visa issues, language barr…

BackpackingNovember 24, 2011November 24, 2011

Diving In Feet First – 36 Traveling Boot Photos From Around the World

It's Thanksgiving back home, probably my favorite holiday of the year. It's a holiday about people, about coming together, and about taking a moment to focus on all that is positive in our lives. The people, the opportu…

BackpackingNovember 22, 2011December 1, 2012

The Emergence of A Third Type of Hostel: The Official Party Hostel

Old vs. New Model Hostels In the past I've talked about two primary types of hostels which I've classified as "Old Model" and "New Model" hostels. To re-hash these two types, Old Model hostels tend to only provide…

BackpackingNovember 15, 2011November 16, 2011

Adventure Travel: Caving Deep Beneath Budapest – My First Brush With Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia is a scary thing. Well, it ought to be it ends in phobia, right? Luckily it hasn't ever really been something I had to worry about. Granted, I come from Arizona where we're famous for our wide open spaces. After all "Don't Fence Me In" could just as easily be about Arizona as Mon…

BackpackingNovember 10, 2011November 26, 2014

Renting A Rowboat and Expecting a Luxury Cruise Ship – Let’s Talk Budget Airlines

It happened again, I posted an update about an upcoming flight with a budget airline and before long had messages from several friends and readers telling me to be careful or suggesting I book with a traditional airlin…

BackpackingOctober 29, 2011October 29, 2011

A Quick Metro Rant – Basic Information Everyone Seems to Have Forgotten

Photo by Stignygaard Life is full of unspoken rules. These rules can be hard to figure out if you're an outsider. Yet, when followed they tend to drastically improve the flow and efficiency of group activities. When v…

BackpackingOctober 16, 2011October 16, 2011

Etiquette Be Damned. Stop Asking, “Do you speak X language?” It’s Rude and Pointless.

In a previous post Learning Danish – Surprising Realizations I discussed my evolving relationship with Danish. One of the things I didn’t discuss was the surprising advice I received from Danish friends regarding one …

BackpackingOctober 11, 2011October 11, 2011

How “Howdy” Has Made Me A Better Traveler – Considering Cultural Identifiers and Their Value

Each time we interact with a stranger there’s a significant amount of uncertainty. When that interaction occurs between people from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages that level of unknown is magnified sign…