Bloody Good Travel Writing is a recurring series highlighting inspiring, informative, and provocative travel writing in line with the Traveling Savage Philosophy.

While August found me reading more work material than travel blogs, I did stumble on several articles that struck a chord. Each shares a common thread with my mission or the style of writing I continue to pursue. Give these a read and enjoy!

Escape to the Maritime City of Marseille by C’est Christine

Christine has been enjoying the summer in France, and when she found herself with two free days she spontaneously jaunted over to Marseille. The spontaneity of the decision is one of the great things about travel: the freedom to seize the moment. I found the post chock full of characterful photos, helpful tips, and a dash of history as well. All in all, Christine put an interesting twist on an overlooked city. Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay this post is that after reading it I had a sense of having been there, like the faintest breath of a fading memory.

Finding Authenticity Amongst the Over-Rated by Sara Clarke (on BootsnAll)

Sara’s description of her trip to Agra, a heavily-touristed city in India and home of the Taj Mahal, was a beautiful reminder that authenticity in travel derives from the traveler, not the destination. Beyond the connection to several of my posts about authenticity, Sara’s writing boasts dense, captivating imagery and near perfect flow. It was a hopeful article, one that reminded me that travelers have much more control over the experience of travel than they often take.

Why Goal-Based Living Will Ruin Your Life by F. Daniel Harbecke (on BraveNewTraveler)

I had to include this article. It’s a pretty funny backlash to all the goal-based living pushed on us throughout our lives. Mr Harbecke makes a compelling yet humorous argument for a style of living that he calls curiosity-based living. Ultimately, I see it as a call to live in the present with neither a backward nor forward focus. I’ve pretty much lived my entire life with a future-looking disease that has prevented me from enjoying the present at times. This article was a timely reinforcement to focus on the present and be curious in my upcoming travels.

Sunday Morning on International by Lonely Girl Travels

Lauren is the master of capturing details within poignant writing. I’m really bummed that I didn’t get to meet her when I was in San Francisco earlier this year. Luckily, she continues to write some amazing stuff on her blog, and this post is no exception. In it, she spins a chance encounter on a Sunday morning into a touching vignette. Her writing helps keep me focused on capturing the details and thinking about life from a level up, from a meta perspective. There’s a bright poetic core to her writing that demands to be read. Go check it out!

Thank goodness for these and hundreds of other posts by excellent travel writers in August. Who knows how I’d have fared without the brief reprieve they afforded me.

Until September!

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Article Comments

  1. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Rebecca Arnold and Keith Savage, Keith Savage. Keith Savage said: Bloody Good Travel Writing from August 2010 | http://su.pr/1sCs2G or http://tinyurl.com/2d74nfe #TT (w/ @camorose, @travelerlauren) […]

  2. Christine September 8, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    Thanks so much for the kind words–I’m having a bit of writer’s block at the moment, and this is just the inspiration I needed! Very glad you liked the piece. Cheers!

    1. Keith Savage September 10, 2010 at 11:12 am

      Hope you smash through that writer’s block!

  3. Andi September 8, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    Checking these links out now!

  4. the destination india September 10, 2010 at 9:09 am

    nice write up.

  5. Sarah September 15, 2010 at 6:52 am

    Thanks for this Keith, really enjoyed all of these pieces. It constantly amazes me how much under appreciated talent is out there.

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