Welcome to Gypsy Wednesday!  Every Wednesday, I strive to highlight all the juicy morsels related to travel and beyond.

Lauren McLeod and Todd Sullivan have built something unique, worth pausing for in the travel sphere.  Read – you won’t be disappointed.

Q: Tell us for those who don’t know, what is Globetrooper?

Todd and Lauren

A: Globetrooper.com is a social travel website that connects travellers all over the world to build trips and travel together.  You can find others on the site by creating your own trip (others who are interested will then join and talk to you about it) or find a trip that someone else has created and try to collaborate on the itinerary.  There’s a whole range of users on the site, solotravellers wanting to travel with another person, solos wanting to meet up with different people along their trip, couples wanting to travel with other people, groups wanting to expand their numbers, and more.

There’s also a heap of information for travellers on the site, ranging from region guides (http://globetrooper.com/guide), trip ideas and the blog,  Notes of a Globetrooper (http://globetrooper.com/notes).

Q: Where did you come up with the idea?

A: The idea came about when Todd and I were trying to create a group to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with a reputable local tour company that we had found.  By posting our trip up on numerous travel forums and websites, we tried EVERYTHING to get the word out about this great climb and local support.  In the end, we only received one response, but he ultimately came on our little group expedition.  We enjoyed having his company so much, we all exchanged travel horror stories and dreams and built new friendships.   After that experience, we realized that there must be a better way for travellers to interact and plan trips to travel together.

Q: Some people might assume you’re rich or have a full-time job to support all this.  The truth, you quit your jobs to do this, why?

A: Ha! Rich?  Yeah right.  We quit our somewhat stable finance jobs in Australia to pursue our love for travel, and to challenge ourselves by starting a business.  Once upon a time, Todd was a software engineer and started a number of businesses in that field. And after moving onto finance, and specifically private equity, Todd was surrounded by budding entrepreneurs and started to feel that itch again.

Todd, Lauren & team on Mount Kilimanjaro

We became passionate about making the most of our 4 weeks annual leave every year to travel, and then realized it didn’t satisfy our lust.  We wanted to travel the world and work remotely, live this digital nomad lifestyle that we kept reading about.

Q: Do you ever want to return to the cube?  If no, why?

A: Well… we haven’t really left. :)  We no longer have an office that’s partitioned off, but we work longer hours in front of a computer than we ever have before!  Not that we’re complaining, we love the ability to be able to move around whenever we like, to go sit in the park for a brainstorm, and especially be able to join some of the unique trips on Globetrooper like The Great Circular Indian Railway Challenge (http://globetrooper.com/the-great-circular-indian-railway-challenge-2011) in February next year, and Gobi 2011 (http://globetrooper.com/gobi2011) starting in May 2011.

Q: What makes Globetrooper significant over similar sites?  Where do you plan on taking it?

A: We’ve tried to focus more on the trips, rather than the people.  There are many social and travel sites out there who are all about people, Facebook, Travbuddy, Twitter, WAYN.  Our approach is centred on the travel idea, joining a trip because you’re interested in going there and doing that, and with other people.

We have many ideas in the works for the long-term outlook for Globetrooper, there are so many different things we can do with it.  Honestly, we’d love to pursue all of them, but that just isn’t realistic.  One that we’re seriously considering is to create a database of local guides that people can then book for their trip.  This gives travellers a local experience as well as empowers the guide to promote his/her own community.

Q: What tips can you give to those wanting to launch an online travel business?

A: Think rationally, build quickly, and be prepared for a lot of changes.  The main tip I would give is to set a deadline for launch that you keep to.  This really is only the beginning of the beginning.  We’ve seen our site evolve over the last 5 months into something so different than what we launched with, and that’s all part of the process.  If you try to get everything perfect forlaunch, it will never happen.  It’s better to get the site out there, building awareness, even if you re-build it completely later.

Additionally, the work never ends.  Just because you’ve launched, it doesn’t mean you can step back and relax, the journey has only just begun.  Also listen to your users, especially those with you from the start.  After all, the site is for them, not you.

For an online travel business, in particular, I’d recommend getting the social media juices flowing early, there is a large community of great travel bloggers (hint hint Nomadic Chick) who will help in any way they can.

Q: Last but not least, you’ve been able to have amazing travel experiences so far, what’s a memorable moment for you to date?

A: A memorable (and horrific) moment for me was walking into my boss’s office on a Friday afternoon to give him my resignation.  I enjoyed my job as an investment analyst – I like working with numbers, everything is logical – so it was hard to put a halt to my career that day.  I was so so nervous and petrified of what his reaction would be, as well as the rest of my colleagues as it was a small company.  But after I did it, I felt so liberated, strong and excited for the next part of my life to start.  A life of indefinite travel and adventure.

Discover the wonders of Lauren and Todd at www.globetrooper.com, on Twitter @globetrooper, and Facebook www.facebook.com/globetrooper.

Photos: courtesy of Globetrooper

Sometimes the unexpected is what the soul needs.  Even a dose of fear.

Everyone’s first time is a trial in unknowable outcomes, an expectation of blissful happiness or gutter disappointment.

I reserved judgment on mine when I knocked on Alain’s door, encouraged by the “welcome” sign printed on white letter paper tacked to the mahogany finish.  All I could fathom was the dense weight of my pack even though I dumped items at Appartement Qualitas.

Or msybe the itch on the roof of my mouth signaled the surreal scene as I exited St. Laurent Metro, walking towards an obvious parkade (I’m couchsurfing by a parkade??), then turning sharply right on Clark leading to a state-of-the-art directory in the building’s entrance.

Between The Village and St. Laurent is no man’s land, an arm’s length from seedy stripper bars, god knows what else.  Yet, here was this plushly designed, modern building planted in the middle.  Puzzled, I was.

Press the suite number or # for the concierge.

A wave of hotel treatment prodded me to call the concierge.

“Ahhh-hem, yes, I’m couchsurfing with Alain?”  Did I just say that?  Way to moron.

Like a wizard with a charmed key, entry sprang from incantations, not my backpacker stature.

The concerige imposed a formal figure in a navy blue uniform, tapping a clipboard, a signal for me to sign my rights away.  No, girl, just type your name neatly. Under ‘guest’.

A ride in a pristine elevator had me hopeful.

Within 3 minutes, Alain’s burly figure, and kind brown eyes scattered creeping thoughts.

“Hello! Welcome!”

“Bonjour!”  Oh how lame my French is.

My knowledge of Alain should overflow a football field, but in couchsurfing reality, intimacy was the scale of a cookie jar.  I had a verified, vouched for profile, with staggeringly positive reviews.  That’s always a good start in a social experiment.

I trudged in with pack and daypack noticing two Murphy beds side by side.  Sure I knew it was a loft, but stupidly pictured it in football field scale.  They were close together.

I banished visions of hidden cameras in false wall panels or beefy hands sliding across my thigh.  Just waited…

“You can take that bed, and are you hungry?  There’s some salad and tofu… ”

“Oh yeah, the security is very good here.  Many Quebecois stars live in this building and don’t want to be bothered.”

“I’m part of CouchSurfing Montreal, lots of people from there drop by to use the terrace, the pool.  You are welcome to have guests.”

My eyes morphed into large saucers of disbelief.  Terrace?  Pool?  Stars?

It’s these oddball moments in travel when decisions are clear as bacteria free water:  in a stranger’s home, a traveler passing through, the air of camaraderie.  Disengage or allow the first time unfold?

After a lunch of salad and sauteed tofu, Alain suggested a swim. Not us.  Just me.

A sensation that I hit the hosptality lottery stayed with me when Alain mentioned his investments in real estate and maybe I could use a free room for a few days?  Would I?  Hell yeah.

Soon after exchanging stories, my comfort level was cemented, knowing another glowing review would land on Alain’s CS profile.

As I dove in the pool’s depths against an azure sky the next morning, it was clear: innocence is overrated.

Couch photo: Jason Spacerman

TORONTO

1. Toronto skyline

2.  Subway tunnel

3.  Crazy plant car, Kensington Market

4. Massey Hall

5. Royal Ontario Museum

MONTREAL

1. Metro Station

2.  Notre Dame Basillica

3. Olympic Observatory

4. Notre Dame de Bon Secours

5. Row houses

What the heck?

Montreal, Quebec

Copenhagen, Denmark

Comments from other travel bloggers in the aftermath of TBEX New York was a torrent of positivity.  Great avenue to meet fellow travel bloggers!  Educational workshops to ignite blog domination!

There I was a voyeur, reading the blog posts, witnessing newly formed friendships on Twitter.  Jealous, but excited for my friends.

Rumors swirled that TBEX 2011 might be in Europe, then it was announced Vancouver is the chosen city.  I hopped the bandwagon, eagerly offering to be tour guide to those friends who missed New York. After all, Vancouver was my recent home for 10 years.

Oh, that’s right – Vancouver WAS my home.  Did I want to re-visit a place I struggled to leave?

When the TBEX 2011 pre-tickets sold out I pledged to wait for the general sale in September, but I wavered.  Next June will probably pinpoint me somewhere in Asia.  For me to fly that distance doesn’t make sense.

Then TBEX announced Europe 2010 from November 4 to 6.  My oath to stick with Vancouver was further tested.

Vancouver is a beautiful city, a postcard of ocean, mountains, and a laid back attitude, but I left for a reason.  To feed this global hunger of mine.  To not hang a shingle on the past.

It feels existentially wrong to return right now.  Copenhagen actually fits with my trip to London and would be a great cap before I tackle India.

My attempts to remain genuine in the world of travel may have just shattered, so to those I promised free tours, accept my humble apologies.  I suppose in the end, every traveler needs to carve their own path, even against popular opinion.

Vancouver won’t be my TBEX experience, but if it’s yours, you will have the best time of your life.  I promise.

Meanwhile, I’m reaching uncontained levels of excitement for Copenhagen.  To not only engage other travel bloggers, but gather ideas.  I can’t wait to see the panel of speakers, attend workshops.  All in hopes that I can bring you more interesting, lively content.

It will be my first twirl in Europe, too!  That’s celebration enough.

TBEX represents Travel Blogger Exchange, an online gathering place for travel bloggers to meet and share.  Only 2 years old, a formal meet-up is organized yearly, among other events.  For more information visit: www.travelblogexchange.com or read this interview with  co-founder Kim Mance.

Photo: jimg944