Traveler Profile: theworldisgettingsmaller

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Screen name:

theworldisgettingsmaller

Gender:

Male

If you must know:

I'm single

Travel status:

Traveling now

Hometown:

NYC

Currently in:

Europe

Traveling Next:

Germany, Iceland, Austria

Favorite places I've been:

Laos, Zimbabwe, Panama, Vancouver, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Some of The Parts Of England Where You Can Understand What People Are Saying and Most Of the Parts Where You Can't , Spain, Malysia, Italy, Bali,Scotland, Fiji....eh. There's more. I just forget.

Places I want to go to:

The Smurf Village

About me:

(tom@matadornetwork.com) I work here at Matador, mostly on Nights. I am living in 12 countries over 12 months in 2009. I'll be writing a book about the experience. Suggestions for fun & interesting places are encouraged!

Profile URL:

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/theworldisgettingsmaller

Read more about theworldisgettingsmaller

I'm fired up on:

Beer Laos and Lion King Whiskey (if you haven't seen it, the whiskey bottle has a misprint: "Lion King. Smooth and Mellon".

Tunes I rock out to:

Sigur Ros, Postal Service, Get Up Kids, Nada Surf, Explosions In The Sky, ACDC, Ash, Air, Built To Spill, Ben Folds, Blur, Clash, Cure, Eels, Aretha Franklin, Wilco, Elliott Smith, Quicksand, Lyle Lovett, Oasis, Prince, Primus, REM, Smiths, Smashing Pumpkins, Spiritualized, Radiohead, Sebadoh, Brand New, Ben Lee, Big Star, Jeff Buckley, Damien Rice, Doves, Jimmy Eat World, Guster, Modest Mouse, Rilo Kiley, Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Trembling Blue Stars, Twilight Singers, The Verve, Van Halen, Pinback, Say Anything, The Streets, Crowded House, Smashing Pumpkins, Jawbreaker, u2, !!!, Duran Duran, Tom Petty, Arcade Fire, Shins, Regina Spektor, Def Leppard, Kiss, Mylo, Mates of State, Mew, Pavement, DJ Shadow, Prince, Replacements, Minus the Bear, The Format, Anathallo, Cursive, Matt Pond, Ben Lee, Embrace, DM, Bright Eyes, Bloc Party, Catherine Wheel, New Order, Fleetwood Mac, Long Winters, Page France, Colour Revolt, Rogue Wave, Tapes N Tapes, Wilco, Manchester Orchestra, Regina Spektor, Long Winters, Lily Allen, Meiko, Bright Eyes, Steel Train, Fleetwood Mac, Spoon, Frames, Tom Petty, Badly Drawn Boy, The Cardigans, Bowie, Mew, Sufjan Stevens, sebastiAn, The Hold Steady, Santogold, Portishead, Locksley, Vampire Weekend, Sparks, M Ward

Travel style:

Just as happy in first class as I am in coach. Ok, we all know that's bullshit. But I have done both and have had good trips each way. I slept in a room with a snake this year. That was fun.

Quote:

"Go ahead and call me sentimental if you must, but I will always prefer the Def Leppard videos where the drummer still had both of his arms." (chuck klosterman)

Sports I do:

I stretch when I yawn in the morning.

Favorite artist(s):

Sigur Ros? Oh god don't make me pick.

Favorite books:

Cmon. Reading the new Paul Theroux book now.

Who I'd like to meet on my travels:

Anyone but the Guy With The Guitar Playing Jack Johnson Songs

I want to make a difference by:

Not starting another social network.

Languages spoken, other than English:

hilariously poor French, Spanish

I felt the most immersed in a foreign culture when:

you don't even wanna know about me getting stuck on an island in fiji.

Why I travel:

I get Awaysick.

Ideal place to watch the sunrise:

5am - 10am are ideal sleeping hours. why waste it on sunrise?

Ideal place to watch the sunset:

with a new friend, on a beach, drinking a tall one

Before I die I'd like to:

live more

Let's collaborate:

i'm a travel writer. my work is best described as self-involved and weird.

My links:

waywardlife.posterous.com (for more articles and pics)

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by Sweet Mary K | 2009/12/02

Hey, thanks for your comment about my company! It's pretty fun!

I hope you're having a great time in Europe!

by madam_dawata | 2009/11/19

Hello,
Nice to meet you, how is everything, hope all is well with you. My name is Madam Dawata Ringor.I found your contact and I picked interest to contact you. I've something very important which I would love to share with you privately, therefore, would advise you to kindly write me back on:(madam_dawata@hotmail.fr) so that I'll give you details. Waiting anxiously for your anticipated co-operation.
Yours,
Madam Dawata Ringor
Email:

by bdhussain | 2009/11/14

Hey, I didn't get your comment till now, but since we've been emailing, I guess it's moot! Hope you're enjoying Lisbon. Porto is loooovely!

by Jason Leahey | 2009/10/26

Hi Worldisgettingsmaller,

I unfortunately don't have much advice to offer in terms of Hungary. I was there in 1998 and it must surely be world's different now. I do remember, though, opening a small wooden door to a pub, a totally inconspicuous little thing in the cold night, and entering a warmly lit, basement bar and danceclub where everyone was flipping out to Bon Jovi songs. It was one of the highlights of the trip. So, my advice: open small wooden doors that are inconspicuous.

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by muttaphilly | 2009/10/19

Thanks, I don't plan on heading back just yet. Your 12 places in 12 months sounds pretty good. My suggestion? Kunming in China - not quite the smurf village but probably the closest your gonna come to meeting that lofty expectation

by bryancassidy | 2009/09/14

I agree that I really do need to get out of the Hartford area. Haha. Thanks for checking the site out.

by Uncertainty | 2009/09/14

We're hoping to take an overnight trip to Berlin (from Bamberg) before we head out of Germany en route to the UK on Sept 25. We'll let you know if we do and would love to meet up.

Bob

by Uncertainty | 2009/08/19

We don't think your musical taste is diverse enough. Other than that you seem cool. We're in the midst of a similar 2009 through Europe with our family of four -- headed from Poland to Germany in a few weeks, and then Scotland/England for Oct-Jan. If our non-virtual paths cross we'd love to buy you a beer.

Brenna and Bob Redpath

by whitneyw | 2009/07/20

Well please don't be jealous! I absolutely love Buenos Aires. The meat just gets better the further south you go, though. Some serious wild game, there's one restaurant here that gets it brought up here, though. I saw on your profile that you're doing a book on living in 12 countries over 12 months. Such a great idea! Any in this hemisphere?

by joymab | 2009/07/09

Hello,
My name is Joy, i got you from matadortravel.com, and i want to have a
good relationship with you, please i need your cooperation,contact me with my email adress,
(joymabou0091@yahoo.com )
am yours Joy.
thanks,
Joy.

by Dustin | 2009/05/14

The cube is awful! I am so delighted that I found this site because it now takes up 90% of my day in the cube. It is refreshing to see the tales of those out there making it happen!

by pansaloca | 2009/05/11

wow. the comment you left me is way more flattering after reading your profile... "Go ahead and call me sentimental if you must, but I will always prefer the Def Leppard videos where the drummer still had both of his arms." Now I know I cant give you total credit for that but I just can't stop laughing.

by VagabonderZ | 2009/02/18

"Yeah, nothing says good time like a giant Polish salt mine" if I had a nickel for every time I heard that...

No worries at all on the movie recommendation...in fact, I'm kinda dying to get some feedback on it...others have expressed interest in it too, but can't seem to find access to it. It only seems to be available in the UK and Australia, which is a shame. Not sure why this hasn't made the rounds more, it's an amazing show...and I only hope that eventually it gets more exposure.

by hunterb | 2009/01/05

Yeah, nothing says good time like a giant Polish salt mine. How is BA?

by Tim Patterson | 2008/10/03

Hey Smaller -

I bought Dark Star Safari at at second hand bookshop yesterday and am halfway through - the writing is good and Paul is a fun travel companion, but it doesn't blow me away. In terms of literary excellence he's no Pico Iyer or Bruce Chatwin, and in terms of intrepid travel he's no Rory Stewart or Mark Jenkins...a good read? Definitely. A classic...well, time will tell.

-Tim

by theworldisge... | 2008/10/03

You're a fast reader. I agree, not a classic. But it does a great job of covering ground that I've either been through, or want to get to. The second half is definitely more up my alley. You'll love his rip on Singapore especially!

by geotraveler | 2008/09/26

Hi there.

Thanks for your fabulous book recommendation. You can view it online here - http://matadorgoods.com/west-with-the-night-by-beryl-markham/

Cheers

Lola

by Ross | 2008/09/19

Loved your blog about Matt Gross. Very entertaining!

by David Miller | 2008/09/18

I've got a bunch of blogs on Bs As. You just have to dig through.

by VagabonderZ | 2008/09/17

Hey...I enjoyed reading your blogs. Very entertaining!

View All (19)

I Can’t Go Back To America Because I Can’t Afford Health Care

By theworldisge... | Location: Germany | 09/27/09 | Pics: 0

I quit my job last December – yeah, I know, I am the only person that I know who’s quit a job in the past year, too. But I had The Itch and so I went. Traveling.

My old employer offered me COBRA, even though I quit. I’m not sure if this is standard practice but it...

Star Trek In French, As Told By Somebody Who Doesn’t Speak French

By theworldisge... | Location: France | 05/13/09 | Pics: 0

Tonight I watched Star Trek in Cahors, France. I was the only person in the theatre during the 18:30 showing. 18:30 means 6:30pm. The film was overdubbed. I do not speak French. Here is my summation of the plot of this fine film:

A big, squidlike clams ship tries to eat another ship that looks...

8 comments | Send to Friend |

Woe Was Me

By theworldisge... | Location: United States | 03/26/09 | Pics: 1

I have only been in love once. I am talking about the kind of love that dazes your days and smacks you like a UFO sighting. Overpowering, crushing, kneedropping, how-did-this-happen-to-me love.

I met Dan through a 14.4 dialup modem in 1996. It was a challenge to access the World Wide Web in those days,...

13 comments | Send to Friend |

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I Can’t Go Back To America Because I Can’t Afford Health Care

Star Trek In French, As Told By Somebody Who Doesn’t Speak French

Woe Was Me