Tag Archives | Travel writing

10 favourite TBEX 12 moments

By on June 25, 2012 in News/Events
Rocky Mountains in Colorado, location for TBEX 12

Rocky Mountains in Colorado, location for TBEX 12

TBEX: Travel blogging conference hits new highs

In my ongoing quest to be a better travel blogger, I attended the annual travel bloggers conference, TBEX, that took place over the weekend of June 14-16 at Keystone Resort in Colorado, about an hour outside of Denver — and about 10,000 feet above sea level! My altitude adjustment problem and introverted personality type made it a challenging and tiring conference — but also educational, exciting and rewarding. These are some of my favourite moments. Continue Reading →

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Top 10 travel writing tips

By on June 24, 2012 in News/Events
Top 10 travel writing tips

Travel writer and editor Spud Hilton at TBEX 12

10 steps to travel writing that engages

Report on Travel Writing seminar at TBEX 12

“If you just want to write about yourself, it’s not travel writing,” said Spud Hilton, editor of the San Francisco Chronicle travel section. “It’s called a memoir.” Spud was speaking with Stephanie Yoder of the travel blog Twenty Something Travel at the Travel Blogger’s Exchange conference, popularly known as TBEX, in Colorado, June 2012. Together, they were presenting the one and only travel writing seminar at TBEX, 10 Steps to Writing that Better Engages and Keeps Your Readers. Continue Reading →

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GO Books: Tell me a story

By on June 22, 2012 in GO Books

Story telling, travel writing, blogging and the Arabian Nights

Still from The Thief of Baghdad

Travel writing and the 1,001 Arabian Nights

During the flowering of Arabic culture about 1,200 years ago, one King Shahryar’s wife betrayed him. In bitterness and revenge, he swore he would marry a new bride every evening and have her put to death the next day. After this barbarism had gone on for some time, the people were desperate to end the killings and Scheherazade, a talented story teller, volunteered to wed the king. On her wedding night, she told the king a spell-binding story of magic and intrigue, and stopped half-way through. Continue reading to find out what being a travel writer has to do with thousand-year-old stories. Continue Reading →

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6 years of travel writing and blogging

By on December 5, 2011 in India, News/Events, Responsible Travel
The moment it hit me I was in India: mosque at Qutab Minar complex, Delhi

The moment it hit me I was in India: mosque at Qutab Minar complex, Delhi 2005

Reflections on 6 years of travel writing

On how I became a travel writer and blogger by throwing myself off the cliff of reason

It was six years ago today, December 6, 2005, that I landed in Delhi, India for the first time. It was Day One of my six-month odyssey; the start of my trip-of-a-lifetime; and the beginning of a new chapter in life, I hoped.

On my first morning in India, I stepped out into the warm December sunshine of my friends’ big, white, marble terrace in South Delhi and felt I had landed in heaven. It was warm, I was surrounded by a loving family and I was finally in India — a place I had dreamed of since childhood, but never thought I would ever see. I felt an immediate affinity with India; it was like going “home.” But I had absolutely no idea where the next six months would lead, what would happen, or what I would get out of the experience. Continue Reading →

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GO Books: Going Full Tilt with Dervla Murphy

By on November 2, 2011 in GO Books, Ireland
Dervla Murphy author of Full Tilt on her bicycle

Dervla Murphy and her trusty steed, Roz

Launching GO Books

Full Tilt: From Ireland to India

This book review of Full Tilt: From Ireland to India by Dervla Murphy marks the first in a new series on Breathedreamgo called GO Books. I will be reviewing and recommending books about travel, personal transformation, culture, India, yoga and/or writing, and providing a link for purchase from Amazon. I will be reviewing classics, like Full Tilt, as well as newly published books. I will NOT recommend any book unless I absolutely believe it is a first-rate read. If you buy it and don’t like it, I will personally invite you over for a home-cooked dinner and you can tell me why (some conditions apply). Continue Reading →

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Song of India published

By on January 3, 2011 in GO Books

Song of India: Tales of Travel and Transformation

I am very excited to announce the publication of my first book, Song of India: Tales of Travel and Transformation. The book is a collection of 10 travel stories and it is available for purchase from Amazon.com by clicking this link: Song of India. Canadians can buy it from Amazon.ca or from Chapters/Indigo.
Most of the stories have been published in magazines and newspapers; some on this blog; and one or two as guest posts on other travel blogs.This is from the back cover:
“Follow your bliss!” Joseph Campbell famously said, so she did. After several harrowing years of losses, author Mariellen Ward set out to recover from grief, understand the essence of yoga and rediscover the joy of living by traveling, studying yoga and volunteering in India.
The stories in this collection are inspired by the scorched earth of the Rajasthan desert; the hypnotic currents of India’s most sacred river; the awe-inspiring spectacle of the sunrise reflected against the white wall of the Himalayan mountain range in Darjeeling; the masses of people at the world’s largest spiritual gathering; and the intense, smoke-filled darkness of a night facing death on the river in Varanasi.
They are geographically diverse, but thematically linked by the author’s transformative journeys across the subcontinent and her obvious love for the culture, the country and the people of India.

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Do’s and Don’ts in India

By on August 18, 2009 in India, Travel Tips
Moi, with friends, at the Taj Mahal

Moi, with friends, at the Taj Mahal

A few things you need to know to travel well in India

I am the first to admit that you need to learn how to travel in India — and it can be a steep learning curve. It helps to have someone hold your hand, or failing that, read these do’s and don’ts to help get you started on the road to a smoother and more enjoyable trip. Continue Reading →

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10 (more) books I love about India

By on August 18, 2009 in Destinations, GO Books, India
Jama Masjid, Old Delhi

Jama Masjid, Old Delhi

From Calcutta to Delhi

A while I ago, I wrote a blog post that listed my Top 10 Books on India (thus far). This is the second installment in my series, Books I love about India. The list includes my all-time favourite book (number 1), several masterpieces, some ripping adventure tales, humour and spiritual pilgrimage and more. There is some fine reading on this list, if I do say so myself! Continue Reading →

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Empire of the soul

By on January 13, 2009 in Destinations, India, News/Events
Photograph of the evening aarti in Haridwar, India during Kumbh Mela 2011

Evening aarti in Haridwar, India during Kumbh Mela 2011

Getting ready to return to India for the third time

I am “borrowing” the title of this post from writer Paul William Roberts. It’s the name of his book about his travels in India and I think it just perfectly describes how I — and so many others — feel about India. I am leaving for my third trip to India in 17 days (January 30, 2009), and am completely immersed in figuring out my itinerary, getting ready, and getting excited. Also sending out as many query letters as I can, to newspapers and magazines and radio shows — hoping to write about my trip: a one-month train journey around India’s heartland. Continue Reading →

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Top 10 books on India (thus far)

By on December 4, 2008 in GO Books, India
Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts, Art Gallery of Ontario

Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts, Art Gallery of Ontario

Classics, prize winners, histories about India

Just before the news broke about the terror attacks in Mumbai, I was going to write about my favourite Indian books and books about India. Ironically, one of my top picks is Maximum City by Suketu Mehta, an incredibly well-researched and well-written book about Bombay. Having recently read that book, I felt much more in-the-know about the city, and especially the local politics. Which are very tricky.

So, here are some of my favourite books on India, about India, by Indians … Continue Reading →

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