We all have those moments when we travel. There’s something about being in a new country that makes us more daring, more willing to be spontaneous. Then we return to home to our routines and that willingness to get off the beaten path fades.

But it doesn’t have to. In fact, I think we could all learn to live our lives more like a 20-year-old in Estonia.

A Spontaneous Thanksgiving Weekend in Estonia

It was Friday, November 26, 2004 –the day between Thanksgiving Day proper and our planned Russian-American-British-Finnish-German Thanksgiving extravaganza.

Elizabeth and I grabbed our passports and cash and headed to the bus station to buy tickets to Tallinn, Estonia. The plan was to leave the next morning, a Saturday, so we could celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday with our fellow study abroad students.

Of course, nothing goes as planned in St. Petersburg, Russia. When we arrived at the bus station, we were told they were sold out of tickets for Saturday. In fact, they only had tickets left for one bus the rest of the weekend. It left in an hour.

We paused to consider. It would take more than an hour to get back to our dorm, grab our bags, and return to the bus station. We would have to be crazy to head across the border to Estonia on such short notice. “What the heck?” we decided. “We’ll take two tickets.”

And with that, we spontaneously headed to Tallinn, Estonia without so much as a toothbrush, a change of clothes, or a hostel reservation. We called our resident advisor to let her know of our newly hatched plan and she sighed and wished us well.

photo credit: ezioman

In Retrospect, Jumping on the Bus Was a Good Idea

We spent a lovely weekend in Tallinn, although we don’t have pictures to prove it because, along with our backpacks and travel guide, our cameras were on the desk in our dorm room — packed for our planned Saturday departure.

In Tallinn, we walked along the waterfront, checked out the local grocery stores, and admired the ancient architecture. We also bought toothbrushes, two changes of underwear, and winter hats.

Elizabeth and I often look back on that weekend. “What were we thinking?” we’ll say with a bemused smile. But neither of us regrets the trip. In fact, it’s one of the trips we think of most fondly.

How to Act Like a 20-Year-Old in Estonia

I’m not one to toss about hackneyed expressions like “seize the day” and “there’s no time like the present.”

But I will say there’s a lesson we can learn from my 20-year-old self. Granted, it was much easier then to hop on a bus and leave the country. I didn’t have a house, a dog, or a job to hold me back.

Even so, there’s something to be said for stepping back from the daily grind to take advantage of life right now — for changing your perspective.

That might mean hopping on a train for an impromptu trip. It might just mean taking a day off of work to spend with your family. Or it might mean adding a week to your vacation so you can experience more of a new country.

After all, when you look back on your life, are you more likely to remember what you did during those 7 days in the office, or what you saw during that week as you delved deeper into the culture of a new country?

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Live Your Life Like a 20-Year-Old in Estonia

No matter what Halloween advice or entertainment you seek, we’ve got you covered — from scary books and Halloween drinks to costumed animals and face paint facts.

Halloween Party Ideas: Drinks, Treats, and Decorations

If you’ve procrastinated on planning your Halloween party, don’t worry. It’s not too late. These tips will get you pointed in the right direction.

Green Your Halloween Party

Halloween Drinks (includes beverages with names like Vampire’s Elixir and Red Zombie)

Top 10 Tasty Vegan Halloween Treats

Halloween decorations kids can make (video — watch for the eco-friendly ones)

Entertainment: From Haunted Houses to Creepy Books

Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or a Halloween homebody, there is no shortage of entertainment for you this Halloween.

Halloween treat: Find haunted houses and events with MapQuest

7 Scariest Films to Watch on Halloween

Five Scary Books for Halloween

Halloween Travel Deals: Get Out of Town for Fright Night

Want to get away for this holiday? Take the kids to Tarrytown, NY or Missouri for a Halloween they’ll never forget.

Travel Deals: Halloween Getaways

JetBlue says Happy Halloween with $31 fares on Oct. 31

image source: auroaborealis

Costume Tips: Scary and Creative Last-Minute Costume Ideas

Ah, costumes. They always sound so fun to make until it’s October 28th and you have no idea what you’re going to be. Check out these resources for some quick and creative ideas.

Still not sure what to be for Halloween?

Ellen’s (Hilarious) Ideas For Kids Halloween Costumes

Fast and Simple Costumes: Last-Minute Halloween Costumes You Can Make

Toxins Make Halloween Face Paints Scary

Spooky (and Cute) Animals

I was tempted to make a Halloween costume for my 6 month old puppy, so I can’t judge those people who dress up their pets. But I still do a little bit.

Nature’s Halloween Horrors: 20 Scary Animals

Halloween Goes To The Dogs: Weird & Wacky Pet Costumes

Just for Fun: Halloween Games and Apps

Get in the Halloween spirit with a spooky new iPhone app and monster mash-up.

GhostCam App: Add a Little Flare to Your Ghost-Free Travel Photos

Top 7 iPhone Apps for Halloween

Make Your Own Monster Mash-Up Musical

And don’t forget to check out our Top 7 Green Halloween Tips for ways to make your Halloween more environmentally-friendly.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Ultimate Guide to Halloween 2009: Spooky Drinks, Haunted Houses, and iPhone Apps

1. Create a Recycled Halloween Costume

Skip the Halloween aisle at Target and opt for creating a costume from items you have at home. Get the kids involved for a fun weekend activity. If you can’t find the materials you need at home, visit a thrift store. They can be Halloween costume gold mines. Not sure where to start? About.com has you covered with lots of creative costume ideas.

2. Rethink Candy and Treats

Instead of buying the big-brand candy bags, hand out fair trade and/or organic chocolates. Sound too expensive? Skip the candy and make or buy a reusable treat. Green Halloween has some great green treat ideas to get you started.

3. Reconsider Face Paint

What did they have to put in that face paint to make it neon yellow? Whatever it is, it can’t be good for your health or the environment. And it’s probably not something you want to stay on your kids’ — or your own — face for 5 hours. Think about skipping face paint altogether. But if you absolutely must use face paint for your costume, read these safe face painting tips first.

photo credit: cristeenq

4. Go Natural with Green Halloween Decorations

Don’t buy decorations from retail stores. Who needs all of that extra plastic and paper lying around, anyway? Instead, make your own reusable decorations from natural materials like pumpkins and leaves, and supplement with handmade decorations. If you can’t live without a festive plastic candy bowl, visit thrift stores and garage sales for second-hand decorations. Best Green Home Tips has some fun green halloween decoration ideas.

5. Green Your Halloween Party

If you’re having a Halloween part, apply the above decoration tips and think creatively about what you serve your guests. Instead of giving your guests non-sustainable candy in paper wrappers, hand out homemade cookies or cupcakes. Skip the paper plates and plastic cups and utensils and opt for reusable ones instead. Encourage guests to create green costumes by having a “create your own costume from scratch” theme party.

6. Walk the Trick or Treat Route

Some parents drop their kids off a few blocks away so they can trick-or-treat their way home. Others drive around behind their kids while the kids walk the neighborhood. Don’t do this. Unless it’s 10 degrees outside, there’s no need to involve a car in trick-or-treating. Walk with your kids around your neighborhood. They don’t want to be seen with you? Gotta love that age! Trail them by foot; keep a distance of 1-2 houses between you and your kids. The kids get to look cool and dependent, you get to make sure they’re safe. Everybody wins.

7. Find a Reusable Candy Vessel

Halloween is all about seeing who can collect the most (and best) candy. With that focus, the most important quality of the vessel that carries kids’ treasure is that it can hold a lot of candy. So be creative. Skip the plastic bags (yes, even if they’re decorated with cute pumpkins) and grab a reusable cloth bag, or even a pillowcase.

For more environmentally-friendly Halloween ideas check out:

• Planet Green’s Top Green Halloween Tips
• The Daily Green’s Top 10 Ways to Go Green This Halloween
• Divine Caroline’s Go Green on Halloween

Do you have green Halloween tips that we missed? Share them in the comments. Happy Halloween!

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Go Green on Halloween: Top 7 Green Halloween Tips

Our philosophy is to focus on easy step you can take to live a greener, healthier lifestyle. So here are 6 steps you can take today (or any day) to reduce your environmental impact, just about anywhere in the world.

1. Walk

It’s harder to get motivated to pass on driving and, instead, walk to your destination in the winter. But fear not — you can face the cold in moderation. Instead of walking everywhere, decide you’re going to walk to one destination every week instead of taking the car.

2. Opt for Public Transportation

For those days when it’s just too cold or rainy to walk, take the bus or train. If you don’t have access to public transportation, carpool.

3. Cut Back on Electricity

Unplug appliances when you’re not using them and turn off the lights when you leave a room. It will save money and resources.

4. Buy Local, Seasonal Food

Support your local farmers by getting food from nearby farms, and look for organic produce and dairy. Food tastes better when it’s fresh and doesn’t have to travel 2,000 mile to land on your dinner plate.

5. Support Sustainable Businesses

Pass up Starbucks and head to that coffee shop in your neighborhood that composts leftovers. Don’t know of such a coffee shop? Check local directories, or ask the restaurants in your neighborhood if they’ve thought about composting. If they realize there’s consumer demand, they might start being more sustainable.

6. Spread the Word

One of the best ways to fight climate change is to encourage more people to take little steps to reduce their impact. Tell your friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family what you’re doing to make a difference. Your story just might encourage them to do the same.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

6 Easy Things You Can Do Today to Reduce Your Impact: Blog Action Day 2009

Eco gadgets are most definitely a growth market now. Sure there are lots of gadgets that are a waste of time and money, but there are also some gadgets that are genuinely useful. In this article, Dan talks about 10 of his favourite eco-friendly gadgets that are designed with the green traveler in mind.

1. Wind up Torch

If we’re going camping or anywhere else where there’s likely to be a lack of lighting when night falls, then we need a torch. Conventional torches eat through lots of batteries, so something rechargeable would be great. Rather than use standard rechargable batteries, why not have a wind up torch? I have two of these torches myself, and they’re fantastic! Just a minute or so of winding up and you get around 30 minutes of torch light. In practice, the light dims after a few minutes, so you just top it up again. You never need to worry about finding some batteries ever again!

2. Wind Up Walkie Talkies

On the theme of wind up gadgets, there’s a great way to keep in touch with your party, or kids, or anyone really, and that’s with a walkie talkie. However, we hit the same issues with batteries, so how about some wind up walkie talkies? For a minute of winding, you get 2 minutes of talking time and 10 minutes of standby time. Perfect for emergencies, and you don’t need to worry about mobile phone reception either.

3. Wind up 2-Way FM/AM Radio

If you want to go a little more advanced, then the 2-Way AM/FM/NOAA Emergency Crank Radio gives you a more bulky version of a walkie talkie, but you also get FM and AM radio. This means you can listen to local radio stations whilst you’re out traveling. Again, no need to worry about batteries, as you just crank it up for more hours of musical enjoyment.

4. Freeloader Solar Charger

f you are taking a mobile phone, games console or an MP3 player, you’ll only get a few hours use out of them on a single charge. If you’re out traveling somewhere sunny, then you can enjoy your gadgets for much longer with a Freeloader Solar Charger. In sunny conditions, the Freeloader charges up its internal battery in about 7 to 9 hours. When you want to charge up your gadget, just hook it up to the Freeloader charger.

5. 2C Solar Cap

When you’re walking about at night, you’ll need a torch to see what you’re doing, and you could use the wind up torch mentioned above. However, if you need both hands free to read maps, then the 2C Solar Cap is really useful. I’ve tried it myself and the bright white LEDs are at the perfect angle to light the path in front of you as you’re walking. You only need to charge the cap up in sunlight for a couple of hours to get a few hours of light for night hiking.

6. SteriPEN Water Sterilization Pen

Right, time for a drink, but you’ve run out of drinking water. How do you know the locally available water is safe to drink? There’s no need to worry with a SteriPEN. The SteriPEN uses ultraviolet light to sterilise clear drinking water (i.e. filtered water) to kill any nasty bacteria that remain in the water. The SteriPEN comes in a range of sizes, including a very portable traveler size. A single set of AA batteries is capable of sterilizing up to 100 litres of water, and even then you can use rechargeable batteries.

7. Solar Pocket Shower

It’s been a long days walk and you need a shower, thankfully you set up a Solar Pocket Shower in the morning and filled it up with 10 litres of cold water. Thanks to the sun’s energy, the water in the black PVC-free bag heated up, meaning you can have a nice warm shower in

8. Popup Shelter with Solar Shower

Stripping in the middle of a field may not be great for your modesty, so if you’d like to be a little more discrete, consider the popup shelter with a solar shelter. Basically its the same solar shower, but in a tall tent-like cubicle to allow you to shower and change in comfort.

9. Sh*t Box

Nature calls, so where’s the nearest bush? Well save the bush the trauma and try the cardboard toilet instead! The rather oddly name device contains disposable liners, which can be buried when you’re done. The bags are biodegradable, so they do no harm to the environment.

10. Solar-powered Backpack

Finally we need something to keep all of our gadgets in! The Blackhills Solar Backpacks are designed to top up all your mobile phone, PDA, games console, MP3 gadgets, etc. Thanks to a whole collection of charging adaptors, you’ll easily be able to charge up pretty much any gadget you can throw at it. There’s even a headphone socket so that you can keep your music gadgets dry inside the backpack.

So there you go, 10 eco gadgets for your next adventure. Got any eco gadgets you recommend for travelling?

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

10 Useful Eco Gadgets for the Green Traveler

Several months ago I wrote about how to afford to travel forever through a program called Project Mojave. At that time I had mixed feelings about posting about Project Mojave, because it’s not entirely relevant to Go Green Travel Green readers and I didn’t have any precise results to share with you at that time.

Now I do.

First, let me tell you who this program is not for:

• It’s not for people who are happy with their income and have no desire to make more money.
• It’s also not for people who don’t have or aren’t willing to commit time and energy to something. Getting results from Project Mojave takes hard work.

But, if you’re willing to put in the effort, my experience has been that Project Mojave has paid off big time.

Let me tell you what Project Mojave has allowed me to do:

• I’ve increased readership on this blog by over 100%
• I’ve increased my blog revenue by 400% (in 3 months)
• I’ve launched an additional online business that’s allowing me to make a sizeable income.

Thus I’ve reached my goal, which I established when I started PM, of being able to pay for (most of) law school.

Project Mojave is not some sort of sketchy internet marketing program. You’re not going to be selling acai berry weight loss pills. I’ve had drinks with (and even played tennis with) Clay Collins (the founder) and he’s a good guy.

Clay started Project Mojave because he wants people to be able to have the income they need to live the life they want. He calls it creating a freedom business. For many people this means quitting their jobs and spending more time with their families, for others it’s about being able to travel around the world and not worry about money. I’m probably the odd one for wanting to afford to go to law school. Clay advocates finding the intersection of what you are passionate about and what can make you money and he gives you the tools to do this. Again, it’s not selling a sketchy product, but selling something that you believe in that people want to buy. It’s about helping people.

Project Mojave is a solid program which I would wholeheartedly recommend. He’s opening it back up for new members in less than a week. To stay up to date and figure out if it’s right for you, check out his website by clicking here.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Make Money Traveling: Project Mojave Review

Recycled Clothing: Sweatshirt Review

PLAYBACK’s recycled cotton sweatshirt comes in both hoodie and traditional sweatshirt versions. I got the grass + carbon hoodie and love it.

There are men’s and women’s versions, which is great if you’re looking for the perfect fit. All of the hoodies are two colors, and all of the color combinations are winners.

Women’s colors include:

• Grass + Carbon (green and grey)
• Shadow Grey + Fucshia
• Win Navy + Cardinal Purple

Men’s colors include:

• Grass + Carbon (green and grey)
• Sweat Blue + Carbon
• Navy + Sweat Blue

The hoodie is fuzzy on the inside and very warm, which will come in handy for my first Minnesota winter. And it feels durable and high-quality, down to the brass zipper and thick draw cord on the hood.

It could be good for travel, depending on the length of your trip and where you’re going. Because it’s so thick, it would take up a decent amount of luggage space. But if you’re going somewhere where you’d wear it everyday, that wouldn’t be a problem.

Pros:

• made of recycled cotton and recycled polyester
• great colors
• cute and stylish
• comfortable
• fuzzy inner layer
• comes in men’s and women’s versions (it’s a bit fitted, so this is a good thing)

Cons:

Its bulk could be an issue if you’re traveling light and you would need to pack it in your bag some of the time, rather than always wearing it.

At $55, it’s not cheap, but it’s also not unreasonable for the quality of clothing you get. Plus, when you buy online before October 31, 2009, you’ll get 20% off your purchase — so the hoodie would only be $44.

Would I Recommend PLAYBACK Recycled Hoodie?

Definitely. I’m a hoodie lover in general, and I love the way this hoodie looks and feels. Plus, PLAYBACK is a cool company with an admirable mission. Thanks for sending this hoodie my way, PLAYBACK!

PLAYBACK’s Story

PLAYBACK’s founder, Adam Siskind, started PLAYBACK after being inspired by Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. After watching the film, Adam realized the recycled yarn he had been using for almost a decade in his clothing business was the most sustainable, environmentally-friendly material around (talk about an “A-HA” moment). As a textile engineer, Adam examined other “eco” brands on the market, and realized that many of their claims about sustainability told an incomplete story. As a result, PLAYBACK was born: An apparel brand that makes its practices transparent and strives to tell the truth about “green” clothing manufacture.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

PLAYBACK Eco Clothing Review: Recycled Cotton Sweatshirt Hoodie

Don’t worry, I’ll be writing again soon enough. But in the meantime, watch for Kimberly’s weekly posts - coming to you on Wednesdays.

Calling Guest Writers

For any writers, photographers, and/or bloggers out there — let us know if you have anything travel or environment related (best if it’s both!) that you’d like to share. We take guests posts. Please don’t send us anything that’s entirely self promotional (though of course we’ll link to you in your byline). We are a London Times Top 100 Travel Site and have thousands of readers each day - so it’s good exposure for you. (But unfortunately, we aren’t able to offer further compensation besides exposure at this time.) Contact us with your story idea if you’re interested.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

New Posting Schedule (and Calling for Guest Writers)

Here is an Index of the posts in this series:

How to Travel Green: In 4 Easy Steps

Green Vacation Ideas and Planning

Responsible Travel vs. Eco Friendly Travel

Hiking Tours: Best Tour Companies and Planning Your Own Hiking Tour

Green Air Travel: 8 Tips for Making Your Air Travel Greener

Best Carbon Offset Companies

Top Green Cities: Where to Travel Green

Green Travel Plan: A Roadmap to Green Travel

How to Find a Travel Agent for Your Green Trip

Green Cruises: Green Cruise Lines and Passenger Tips

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

End of Back to School Green Travel Basics: Index of Posts

Cruises are known for being some of the least environmentally friendly ways to travel. But, cruise lines have made huge leaps in the past decade to become greener.

Here are some of the best green cruise lines:

• Carnival
• Celebrity Cruises
• Costa
• Disney Cruise Lines
• Holland America (You can read our previous posts about the Ryndam Holland America.)
• Royal Caribbean
• Norwegian

Both Treehugger and Natural Home Magazine have some good articles further exploring these cruise lines if you’re looking for the nitty gritty about what makes them green.

How to be a Green Cruise Passenger

If you’ve got your cruise booked and are ready to go here are some tips for being a greener passenger

Tour the Kitchen

Many cruise ships offer a “kitchen tour” as part of the onboard activities. Take the tour and check out how much food goes to waste while your down there.

Take only What You can Eat

If you take a kitchen tour you’ll be amazed at how much food goes to waste on cruises. To help lessen the amount of food that’s wasted, don’t pile your plate too high when going through the buffet line.

ground food waste on our Holland America cruise

Take the Stairs

Cruise ships are tall. Frequently 8-14 flights of stairs that the passengers can take. Instead of wasting electricity on the elevator, opt for the stairs. It will help burn off all the buffet line food you ate too.

Conserve Water

It’s estimated that in one year, the average cruise ship generates 1 million gallons of grey water. That’s a lot of water for just one ship. Do your part and take shorter showers and turn off the water when brushing your teeth.

Recycle

Most cruise ships have recycling. Take your recyclables to the proper recycling bin.

Watch an Environmental Presentation

Some cruise ships offer an onboard presentation about the ship’s efforts to be more eco-friendly. If your ship offers one, watch it. The one we went to was fascinating.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Green Cruises: Green Cruise Lines and Passenger Tips