Annual reviews

2015 In Review: Europe At Last, Africa Again & Learning Every Day

Wow, what a year. Now it’s time to look back and reflect. Like I said last year, posts like this are very personal, a chance for me to collate thoughts on the year – where I’ve succeeded, where I’ve failed and where to focus moving forward. I encourage you to look back on your own …

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Book reviews, Self improvement

The Books I Read In 2015

One of my goals this year was to try and read more. I never read. Before this year I’d read maybe five books since high school. I read a couple last year, but this year the challenge was to make reading a habit. Why? Because it’s the advice that keeps coming up again and again. …

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Destinations, New Zealand, Stories

A Bowl Of Potato Soup In Rotorua

“What are you cooking?” “It’s like a potato soup thing.” “Is that like, a German thing?” “Yeah.” She had a pretty smile. Really straight teeth, too. I always liked girls with straight teeth. I turned back to my chicken, steaming slowly in my pan. Hostel kitchens are always interesting. Everyone’s trying to cook something healthy, …

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Making Money

How I made over $4,000 in my first month on Elance (Upwork)

Update: Elance has now merged with Odesk to form Upwork. The platform is more or less the same, and operates in the same manner. The advice below is still applicable. Good luck! Surprisingly, the world of freelancing had eluded me until recently. It was by complete accident that I stumbled across a website called Elance …

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Musings, Travel Tips

Why Travel Is Awesome For Introverts

So, you’re an introvert? Yeah, me too (ISTP, in case you were wondering). People like us, we enjoy time on our own – reading, writing, playing video games, working out. We don’t need others cramping our schedules. We don’t need bouts of small talk to make us feel comfortable. We like being alone. It’s easier …

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