In my quest to satiate my wanderlust, I tend to look under the well-trodden “travel blog” search term. Once a haven for kooky and slightly-unprofessional accounts of personal travels, foreign snafus, and tips ripe for mental storage, the blogosphere has transitioned into a decaying wasteland, on which is built an altar to commercial enterprise (dramatic, but a serviceable analogy nonetheless). What has always appealed to me (and other curious souls, I assume) in travel blogs is the intimate portrait created by one intrepid traveler, not claiming to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the area, but providing a slice-of-life anecdote to nibble on. Like individual threads of a much larger, impenetrable cloth of cultural truth.
But enough of the hackneyed cliches and strained metaphors–I’m on the hunt for a decent story and some pithy commentary. Ignoring travel blogs with bland suggestions and packages to sell, I’ve scoured the interweb for charming, personal accounts of travel, which, hopefully, also feature breathtaking scenery or mouth-watering food (delicious meals should always be shared). These blogs may possess a slightly different mixture of characteristics, but, nonetheless, deserve some perusal.

 

Charming Blogs:

The Everywhereist (www.everywhereist.com):
A crisp, well-designed space is just the place for a mixture of thoughtful photographs, unflattering selfies, and a warm voice. The writer? Geraldine, a middle-aged woman, who was laid off and decided to follow her husband around the world (for business). Complete with photos of her cute son and beautiful landscapes, Geraldine’s website recounts her travels through Europe, Africa, and beyond. However, as she puts it, the website is less travel-guru-advice and more “a big, long, cuss-filled love letter.”

It may not be Pulitzer material, but it manages to convey both a sense of place and personal touch, the sort of off-kilter website a very web-savvy aunt may send around to her relatives. However, Geraldine’s successful blog has birthed a host of travel guides and an upcoming book. For now, I’ll enjoy her humourous musings and personal touch.

 

uncornered market (www.uncorneredmarket.com):
Okay, I know I made a stink about finding “locally-sourced, responsibly-grown, organic fruit” (or something), and while this blog might not seem the most charmingly unprofessional, I selected it based on its commitment to local culture, as well as its explanations on the fallacies associated with travel in stereotypically dangerous countries. Sometimes the pictures of Audrey and Dan, the “husband-and-wife storytelling team” strike me as a bit ‘white savior-y,’ but the entries seem genuine and genuinely excited to introduce would-be travelers to places like Turkmenistan, Iran, and Ethiopia. Plus, they have pretty great sections on sustainable travel and some great lifestyle tips. Wade through some of the chaff to get to the wheat.

Dishonorable Mention:

Travels of Adam (http://travelsofadam.com/)
With travel guides such as “The Hipster’s Guide to Columbus” (Ohio, that is), Adam is no stranger to glossy douchebaggery (I believe he merits that particular title). Adam’s blog strikes me as the prototypical travel-as-a-spiritual-awakening-turned-lucrative-income platform. With titles such as “How Iceland Changed My Life,” I have trouble finding the real Adam in his mess of well-produced, headdesk-inducing articles. It’s suitably interesting and, like, not a bad blog. Does feel authentic? Have great writing? Feel spontaneous? No no no. Just the sort of high style, low-thinking, high tech website I’ve tried to avoid. Readers, beware!

Use these suggestions to jump-start your weekend–whether planning a trip or looking for a story, these blogs are worth a look.

W