Philosophy and Advice

Simplicity, though not traditionally viewed as a virtue, is the greatest virtue of all because it makes practicing every other virtue that much easier.

Balance can be struck, the truth becomes all we need, and our minds become decluttered in proportion to our environments.

Simplicity, otherwise called minimalism or essentialism, can be considered most broadly as that which reduces complexity, confusion, and clutter in both our physical spaces and our emotional lives. This is the minimalist’s strongest trait. By keeping life simple, there is no reason to covet or lust, lie or steal, nor boast or squabble. …

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dear writers and followers of World Traveler’s Blog,

We would like your help welcoming a new editor who has recently joined the World Traveler’s Blog team:

Alex (Be Adventurer)

Well said. There is also a Buddhist saying that goes well with this, "Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."

Writing and Self-publishing

Some will insinuate that achieving bestseller status on Amazon books is just gaming the system, but they misunderstand the new rules of self-publishing.

With the advent of Amazon publishing, the game has changed forever. There have always been lists that rank books, but now there are countless categories with ladders to climb. Everyone who sells a book on Amazon is playing the game, the only question is if they are playing to win or just playing for fun.

Being the best seller in a category is really just one more form of marketing, and it’s free; moreover, everyone should be…

Marketing and Advertising

When it comes to self-publishing a book, there are so many things to learn (and Amazon certainly doesn’t make it easy).

Small missteps here or there will cost you money and possibly cause your book to flop. I have successfully navigated the self-publishing process with Amazon from essentially no following to Best Seller status and have shared much of that experience HERE. Once your book is on the market and doing well, the next step is advertising and marketing.

This story will give you several tips and tricks to help with the process — hopefully, you can avoid overspending as…

Hiking and Backpacking Advice

The new thru-hiking season approaches and thousands of hopeful hikers will soon attempt the peak adventure of our sport.

75% of them will fail.

How can you avoid becoming one of the majority and instead find yourself with a life-long badge of honor and accomplishment? Surely it’s just a matter of walking really far each day, sleeping, then doing it all over again the next day — it’s only 4–6 months, right?

Oh, if only it were that simple.

Here are the top reasons thru-hikers don’t complete their goal, along with methods to avoid each pitfall.

Lack of funds

As you will see…

Marketing and Social Media

Most people reading this probably have an unhealthy relationship with social media (if they are honest with themselves).

My relationship with Facebook evolved as the platform changed from a connection with friends into the doom-scrolling king of social media. As my book was nearing its publication date, I stopped doom-scrolling and started only promoting the book and interacting more with its target audience. Although Facebook’s algorithms have changed to make it harder for authors to reach their followers, certain features are still quite beneficial when growing a following.

The upshot of focusing social media on your writing is that it…

Hiking and Backpacking

Thru-hiking is, without a doubt, one of the pinnacles of personal achievement for anyone who succeeds. It often leads to some of the best and most memorable experiences in a person’s life.

However, reaching such heights of human experience must also, inevitably, involve walking back down that mountain — a feat that many find far more challenging than the accomplishment itself. It becomes almost an addiction, long-distance hiking. Not only the daily endorphins, but the dramatic lifestyle changes and extreme minimalism.

A thru-hike is defined as the completion of a long trail (such as the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, or Continental…