We’re one step closer to bidding 2011 goodbye. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I wrote last November’s State of the Savage from Argentina, but then again time seems to always flummox and confound those who study it. I’m one year into my allotted two-year sojourn to make Traveling Savage into a new career. How is it going?
I recently described my state of mind to a friend as “feeling like I’m stuck in a rut in the middle of limitless forest for as far as the eye can see.” Okay, that’s a bit redundant, but it shows the strength of the feeling. I continue to write about my escapades in Scotland and plan new trips, but I have always had the long view of life, and if belief in the financial sustainability of a venture fades so increases the feeling of its frivolousness. Read more...
As the first frosts come to Wisconsin, I’m reminded that in five days it will have been one year since I left my corporate job. That’s a major milestone and cause for a reality check. But first, a celebration of all the traveling I’ve done in the last year!
I kicked off Traveling Savage by spending five weeks in Argentina in November and December of 2010. It was my first time traveling solo, my first trip to South America, and a million other firsts that resulted in greater cultural and self awareness. I split time between Buenos Aires and Salta all while sharing meriendas and asados with ex-pats and locals. Argentina was revelatory, difficult, exuberant, and transformative.
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I’m supposed to be writing this from my room at The Douglas Hotel in Brodick on the Isle of Arran. Instead, I’m writing it from my parents’ house just outside Milwaukee.
My flight yesterday was delayed by five hours, thereby killing any chance I’d have of making my connecting flight in Philadelphia en route to Glasgow.
My entire trip nearly came crashing down when the ticketing agents at U.S. Airways said they couldn’t get me out until Sunday. There was shallow breathing, dilated eyes, and the palpable sensation of perspiration seeping out of my pores. Then the agent said she could sneak me on their flight today. Read more...
Edinburgh. Now there’s a city I could live in.
Since my last State of the Savage update I’ve spent three weeks in Auld Reekie, exploring her twisting wynds, secret closes, and rich neighborhoods. I’m happy to declare it a success! I shot close to 2,000 photos, met with numerous kind folks representing businesses in Scotland, and culled enough information for weeks – if not months – of blog posts. Unquestionably, three weeks is not long enough in this great city.
But it’s not a city like New York, London, or Buenos Aires. I read a quote somewhere, and I’m going to butcher it, that said “Edinburgh is a city that thinks it’s a town and acts like a village.” Read more...
If you’ve been following this series, you’ve got a good idea of where you want to go in Scotland, when you’re going, and how much time you want to spend. This fourth piece – how much the trip will cost – is often the linchpin in these plans.
I’m just going to lay my cards on the table now: the United Kingdom is not the most cost-effective destination. The Sterling Pound is one of the most valuable currencies in the world, which means your dollars and cents will need some buddies to make up the difference in costs (at the time of writing, $1=£0.62).
But this is no excuse to gnash your teeth, curse the heavens, and scrap your plans. Read more...
A hunter, oft-stubbled and bleary-eyed, driven by an insatiable hunger for exploration and experience - and perhaps a chance to thin the herd of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. From the highlands and islands to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Borders, I explore Scotland with a pen in hand and a fire in the belly (which could be partly from the whisky). 
