Category: Travel

Passport_Australia-1024x810
Renewing a passport

Renewing A Passport: How To Renew An Expired Passport Fast

Posted on by Michael

Renewing a passport after its already expired, or renewing a passport on an expedited basis, is something I have an unfortunate amount of experience with.

Renewing a passport
It took some doing to get to the point where this stamp became part of my passport.

I would like to think of myself as a a very organized traveler. I would also like to think that blueberry Pop Tarts are a health food. However, as I found myself preparing for a production shoot in Australia and New Zealand as part of The Palette Project, I realized at the last minute, or very close to it, that my passport was not expiring in 2017, as I had thought, but had already expired a few months back. At that point, figuring out how to renew a passport as quickly as possible moved tot he from of the line on my to-do list.

Well, shame on me.

Thankfully, renewing passport is not difficult, even on an expedited basis. Yes I found myself having to deal with the twin troubles of Continue reading “Renewing A Passport: How To Renew An Expired Passport Fast” →

ebags backpack
Hitting the road the minimalist way

Travel Minimalism: Podcast Recommendation

Posted on by Michael
Travel packs
The eBags packs are becoming more popular with digital nomads

Travel minimalism is a big thing, and every now and then, I like to recommend sites and podcasts that shed some light on what makes for a good travel experience. The Travel Freedom Podcast by Tommo and Megsy has been a great resource for me, and it should be on your list also.

This week’s podcast is right up my alley, and if you travel frequently, it should be on your list of favorite alleys, too. The subject this week is all about essentials for traveling with the absolute minimum amount of gear and accessories. Be warned… the discussion and the list is of particular interest to digital nomads and travelers who are focused more  on the journey than the luxury of it al, but I love how they strip it down and explain how to get the most out of your 10-12 kilos (roughly 27 pounds) , the limit today for most carry-on baggage.

Here’s the link to subscribe to the podcast.

In the meantime, news coming up from the tail end of the New Zealand leg of our filming, along with footage from the road, so stay tuned, plus putting some travel advice to the test when it’s a mixture of business and pleasure.

Onwards!

Blue New Zealand
Auckland Harbour

Entering New Zealand, One Cup of Coffee at a Time

Posted on by Michael
Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand in the moments just before sunrise.

With the Red portion of The Palette Project safely in the can, the production is moving on to Blue (and I’d love it if you checked out the film’s homepage, by the way, or even, dare I suggest, the tax deductible contribution page). While I do want to tackle the underlying reasons for heading to New Zealand as our location of choice for Blue on the color palette. I think some lighter fare is in order to get us settled in. So with that in mind, let’s delve into lighter fare… by talking about lighter fare – our food related travails on our travels.

I’ve come to realize that many of my observations along the road to producing The Palette Project have much less to do with Continue reading “Entering New Zealand, One Cup of Coffee at a Time” →

Not a Router in Sight

Phoning it In, Part III: Using Wifi to Make Calls

Posted on by Michael
Using wifi for making calls
We explored the outback for the route, not the routers. Good thing, too, because the wifi was in short supply.

When it comes to using your cell phone while traveling abroad, it’s hard to escape the feeling that you can’t win, that the cellular deck is stacked against you. Somewhere along the way, no matter what your strategy is, you’re going to face some sort of fee that makes you scratch your  head in wonder, amazement or just plain irritation. Is it the $18.95 per megabyte fee for international data? Is it the $4.99 per minute for international calls? Is it the one country not on your international calling plan that just happens to be the country to where you’re traveling? I’m looking at you Fiji. When I consider the machinations of international calling, I can’t help thinking of Joshua, the computer in the 1983 movie “Wargames.” “The only winning move is not to play.”

That’s not really an option. If you’re going to travel internationally, you are almost certainly Continue reading “Phoning it In, Part III: Using Wifi to Make Calls” →