We want all of you lovely guys 'n gals to check out the brand spanking new Where I've Been website. Remember, it is in Beta so we are still trying to work out all the kinks and fight off the bugs. But we would LOVE you to send us emails to support@whereivebeen.com with all of your feedback, whether it's good or bad. :)
Some of the new exciting features of the new Where I've Been website include the ability to search locally & globally, write on your friend's walls, ask a question about a country or city, and comment on your friend's posts. That's not all, folks. The Where I've Been map is also changin'! The NEW version of the map allows Where I've Been members to find anything under the following categories: Restaurants, Shopping, Accommodations, Services, Attractions, and Entertainment. Whether you are looking to book a table for your favorite Italian restaurant on a Saturday night, or find your nearest Starbucks to end your Frappacino craving, you can find it easily and efficiently with Where I've Been!
As you probably already know, TripIt released their API earlier on this week, and I am proud to say that Where I've Been is featuring this API on the WIB beta website. The TripIt API allows users to plan upcoming trips, as well as store previous travel itineraries, and map the location on the Where I've Been map. To read all about the TripIt API, go here.
Don't worry though. Not everything has changed on the new site. We still have the amazing Question of the Day and the travel story, for your entertainment, which will be updated daily. We have also kept the reviews section so that you can write about your favorite places until your hand falls off (although we hope it doesn't. you're gonna need that hand to click around the Where I've Been site. hehehe.)
Don't have a Where I've Been account? What are you waiting for!? Sign up now!
Ever wanted to discuss traveling with someone who knows, first hand, what it's like and what to expect? Well, now is your chance to meet some of the top authors and adventure experts in Los Angeles next month. Some of the speakers at this event include Travel Channel's Samantha Brown, avalanche expert Dean Cardinale, and journalist Peter Potterfield.
Join TV hosts, authors, adventure experts and more than 550 exhibitors at the Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show. The show will present speakers and workshops catering to a variety of travel destinations, cultures, activities and budgets, including The Times Travel Editor, top industry insiders and consummate adventurers. All will be on hand to offer insight into having the best travel experience--whether you're planning a romantic retreat, family vacation or the journey of a lifetime.
"We've learned that, even in difficult economic times, Americans view travel as mandatory, not optional," says Los Angeles Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm. "How do we continue to feed our passion for new places and new experiences? Our experts will talk about strategies for continuing to see the world, no matter your budget."
Speakers at the February 14th & 15th weekend event include: • Arthur and Pauline Frommer, renowned father-daughter budget travel experts, on authentic and affordable travel for 2009 • Rick Steves, host of PBS' Rick Steves' Europe, on crossing the pond without breaking the bank • Travel Channel host Samantha Brown on making weekend getaways manageable and memorable • Catharine Hamm (www.latimes.com/travel) and a variety of travel journalists on industry trends, how to avoid getting scammed, and online deals • Robert Young Pelton, author of The World's Most Dangerous Places, on travel during wartime • Dean Cardinale, avalanche expert and mountaineer, on his trek to the summit of Mt. Everest • Costas Christ, National Geographic ADVENTURE Global Travel Editor, on green travel • Peter Potterfield, adventure journalist and photographer, on classic hikes from the Swedish Arctic to the wilds of New Zealand • Plus destination workshops on vacations with a purpose, getting the most for your dollar, and exotic get-aways to Tahiti, Maui and Australia and more
The Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show is presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California and The Greek National Tourist Office; Samy's Camera is the Major Sponsor; Louisiana Office of Tourism is the Presenting Sponsor of the Culinary Stage DineLA; National Geographic ADVENTURE Magazine, the Travel Channel, Hoy and KTLA5CW are Media Sponsors. The event is co-produced by Unicomm, LLC and the Los Angeles Times. [...]
Check out the list of other travel writers and experts who will be speaking in Jan & Feb.
Menlo Park -- Meridian Travel holds cruise event, Jan 27, Menlo Park, CA
York -- Travel writer Lawrence Millman, Feb. 6 @ York Public Library
Glasgow -- The Holiday & Travel Show provides the opportunity to grab a holiday bargain and discover holiday ideas, Feb 13 @ The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.
If you know of any travel writers, photographers, or speakers in your area within the next month, feel free to leave a comment here!
It has been announced that TripIt, an exceptional travel site, launched its API this morning, which will allow third party applications to have access to TripIt’s itinerary sysytem. Launched in September 2007, TripIt is an intelligent travel organizer that helps do-it-yourself travelers manage their travel plans so that their trips go more smoothly. (source: TripIt )
The following article on TechCrunch explains exactly how users, as well as developers will benefit from the API. Our company, Where I've Been, is one of the first applications to introduce (and greatly benefit from) TripIt's API on our beta site.
"TripIt Launches An API. Travel Sites, Please Use It. TripIt, the helpful travel site that lets you generate an itinerary by simply forwarding the service your Email confirmations from hotels and airlines, has opened up an API for outside developers. The API will give third party applications access to TripIt’s itinerary sysytem, which now accepts data from 350 travel sites. Developers can find all the details for joining the program here.
A number of applications have already used the API to implement new features. Expensd, an online service that helps business travelers manage their expenses, will use TripIt to automatically import your transit and hotel expenses. Popular iPhone application FlightTrack will use TripIt to automatically look up your flights to see if they’re on time. And Where I’ve Been, a social network application that plots your travels on a map for your friends to see, will use the API to automatically look up your destinations. Other potential uses for the API include an ‘Add To TripIt’ button that would allow travel sites to transmit your booking data to TripIt so you won’t have to forward your confirmation Email. [...]" (source: Techcrunch)
(pic: NomadicMatt) You go to school, you graduate, you get a job, and you're set for life, right?
Wrong.
For Matt Kepnes, a young world traveler and brilliant travel blog writer, this way of life is not enough. In 2004, he escaped from the cubicle and has traveled to a plethora of places including Thailand, Australia, Belize, Czech Republic, Japan, Norway, Austria, Greece, Cambodia, The Netherlands, and Italy. His website, Nomadic Matt, provides jet setters - old and new - with useful information such as travel tips and inspiring photos and videos. If you haven't already, I suggest you check out his extensive collection of travel blogs. It's a great way for adventure seekers to get a 'heads up' before they wander off into the unknown.
So, what is it like to travel alone? What is the first-time traveler mentality? In the following entry, "The Skills You Need To Travel", from his website, Matt discusses some of the things that are necessary in order to experience (and thoroughly enjoy) the trip of a lifetime.
"I recently received an e-mail I answered in the Ask Me! section that I think deserves more attention than the few lines I gave it. The person had asked me: “Have you noticed a particular set of skills that come in handy abroad? What should I learn to best prepare myself for living, working, and traveling overseas?”
It’s a great question because travel, especially solo travel, requires a lot of skills. So when I was asked this question, a few traits came to mind but one more than any other: adaptability. It is the most important trait I think a traveler needs to have. You can suck at reading a map, have dietary restrictions that keep you eating only lettuce, and the ability of a dog to learn a language but if you can not adapt to new situations, you won’t make it. (pic: NomadicMatt) People are scared to travel sometimes. They might dream of spending their days roaming the world, exploring ancient ruins, and lounging on the beach but they don’t. The world isn’t full of nomads- it is full of worker bees. Why? A lot of the reason why people don’t travel is that they don’t make it a priority. They keep the dream in their head. But another major reason is that they don’t feel they have the traits to do so. They feel they won’t make it. They’ll get lonely, mugged, bored- the list goes on. But one thing they always feel is that they won’t be able to adjust to their new surroundings.
Without the ability to deal with the unexpected, you’ll fail. But you can learn this trait. You can do it. You don’t need to have this ability before you go. You can learn it on the road. In fact, the longer you are gone, the more you learn to deal with unexpected situations. If there is one constant in travel, it is that eventually, something goes wrong. You break down in Australia, get lost in a jungle, lose your camera, miss a flight, get sick, or stuck somewhere where no one speaks English- something will happen to you. It’s Matt’s Law- the longer you are on the road, the more likely it is that something goes wrong. Falling into the ocean with my camera wasn’t on my list of travel goals. Neither was breaking down in Australia. Likewise about my travel companions taking me a different way then I had expected.
But I got over it. Because I learned to adapt. It took me awhile to become totally comfortable with that. When I first set off on the road, I was rigid. I stayed in my box. But the more I traveled, the longer I went, the more unexpected things that happen, the more comfortable I got. I found beauty in the happy accidents of travel.
You need to know thy self though. In my tip for new travelers, I gave a list of things I’d tell a new traveler. If I had to add another, it would be start at your comfort level. Know your self. Maybe jumping head first isn’t the best idea. Maybe you don’t want to see just how adaptable you are. Well, that shouldn’t stop you from traveling. There’s a lot of alternatives so you can dip slowly into the pool of travel. Maybe a tour group is good or maybe travel with friends. But whatever it is, you need to get out on the road first! Adaptability is a skill you can learn and traveling is a great way to learn it.
Many things will happen to you while you travel- some good, some bad, some in between. No matter what though, if you aren’t open to the experience, you will always been longing for home. You’ll have a miserable time and won’t be able to enjoy the cultures you are in. So if there is one thing I think you need when you travel, it’s the ability to adapt. The road is constantly changing, you just need to learn to adapt to it!" (source: Nomadic Matt)
Matt also runs a website about how to travel the world. You can visit the website here! Also, to get in touch with Matt, or ask him questions about traveling, you can follow him on Twitter.
What are some of the skills YOU think you need to travel? What are some of the skills you picked up while abroad? I'd love to know!... so share away! Leave a comment or two :)
Many people travel for months (even years) trekking around the globe in search of self-fulfillment, excitement, and adventure. For Where I've Been user Warren Eveleigh, he and his friends planned a special 32 day trip to capture as much of Europe as possible. Some of the places Warren explored included Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, France, Monaco, Spain, and Greece.
Many would agree that some of the most important aspects of traveling is to meet new people, take pictures, and embrace the cultural differences around you. Below is a fantastic video, posted with permission from Warren, that captures the feelings and thoughts of 40 young travelers who experienced the trip of a lifetime together.
.
What are some great memories that you have had while abroad? What are some memories you would rather leave behind? Are there things you wish you had done while you were trekking across the globe? Share a story or two ... leave a comment!
"The world is your classroom." BrilliantTrips has one main goal and that is to build an efficient and effective travel company that promotes education through traveling all around the globe. According to the BrilliantTrips homepage, the company is dedicated to "providing individuals and groups with an international experience that promotes sustainable tourism and cross-cultural understanding." BrilliantTrips is not just about traveling and meeting people from various backgrounds, but it is also about LEARNING from all of these experiences abroad, thus creating a memorable and educational travel adventure.
"Where do I want to go?" BrilliantTrips offers a plethora of trips - anything from volunteer trips, to overland safaris, to diving trips, to wildlife and cultural adventures. To check out the list of featured activities, go here. Last fall, BrilliantTrips launched a new and innovative system that allows customers to mix and match products and services to fully customize their travel experience without having to rely on an outside third party to fill in the gaps. Through patent pending technology, the new system has the ability to establish direct connections with discount carriers, major airlines and charter airlines, allowing customers to choose from a wider variety of products. The same model is applied to hotels, car rentals and other services, offering true dynamic packaging.
"I want to interact with the community while abroad." Perfect! BrilliantTrips also offers language courses for those who want to participate in conversation while abroad. Some of the language courses offered include Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, German, and Russian. It is advised to learn the basics of a country's language in order to get the most out of your travel adventure and taking one of these classes will definitely help! Need more information about the language courses? Call BrilliantTrips toll free at (800) 515-1709 or drop an email to questions@brillianttrips.com
Have you ever wanted to volunteer in the Peruvian Andes? How about exploring the jungle at the Amazon Eco Park Jungle Lodge? Are you brave enough to spend 6 days in Glacier National Park on your own? These are just some of the featured trips, in addition to the great deals on flights, hotels and car rentals, that you'll find on the BrilliantTrips website. Check out the full details here.
Looking for trip ideas? Review travel hotspots, get inside tips, look at captivating travel pictures and review travel stories on their blog, Brilliant Tips by BrilliantTrips. For blog updates or to find out what their co-founder, Rich, is doing, follow them on Twitter.
Where I've Been is featured today on the Viator travel blog. I absolutely love this site so it's a real honor that they have mentioned us in their blog! Check out the post below:
Q&A with Whereivebeen.com
Editor’s Note: We ran across the site whereivebeen.com a few months ago, and were impressed. So we asked Katy Lynch, the community manager at WIB, to answer a few questions about the site. She was kind enough to reply.
Viator: So what’s the deal with whereivebeen.com? Whereivebeen.com: Our site is all about finding places locally, traveling globally, and sharing stories, adventures, and experiences with fellow Where I’ve Been users. Our interactive world map lets users share where they have been, lived, and want to go. Additionally, you can link up your Where I’ve Been maps, from whereivebeen.com, to other social networking sites (Facebook, Hi5, Bebo, Friendster, and Myspace).
Viator: That sounds cool. If we wanted travelers on Viator.com to get involved, how would that work? Whereivebeen.com: Funny you ask! We’re working on launching a new travel platform and Open API, which we are all very excited about. The Open API will allow users to push travel-related content into our network, encouraging our users to plan and book their next local or global destination, whether its exploring a new coffee shop where you live or planning an around the world adventure. The new platform will allow users to search, review and find city-specific information from an aggregated content source of over 30 million global data points. Some other new features of the site include the ability for users to post questions, add comments, and receive answers from ‘expert’ users regarding specific travel destinations.
Viator: How many members do you have? What’s it take to become a member? Whereivebeen.com: We currently have over 5 million users spread across several social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, Friendster, Hi5, and the stand-alone site (whereivebeen.com). All it takes to become a member is a passion for travel, a love for communicating and sharing information with like-minded jet setters, and lots of patience for filling out the Countries and Cities portions of those awesome interactive maps!
Viator: Do you have a favorite member? Anybody that’s done something really off-beat / interesting / crazy? Whereivebeen.com: Since I am the Community Manager of WIB and receive an abundance of messages from users every day, I would have to say that my personal favorite members are those who offer and suggest great travel ideas.
Viator: We’ve seen you over on Facebook and Twitter. What’s that all about? Whereivebeen.com: Twitter is fantastic. It’s really a great tool for Where I’ve Been to keep our users and similar travel companies up-to-date on what is going on with our company. We thrive on maintaining our active community, which we already have on Facebook, so Twitter is definitely another great social networking service for Where I’ve Been members to stay connected. You can follow us on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/whereivebeen
Viator: If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? Whereivebeen.com: Oh gosh, that is a hard question. There are so many places I want to be! I must say I have always wanted to go to Japan. I am fascinated by all aspects of their culture - the technology, the fashion, the food, the nightlife. Some other places on my long list are South Africa, New Zealand, Russia, Egypt, and Germany.
Over the weekend, I posted this message on my Facebook status: "I like my friends, but I LOVE the Whopper -www.whoppersacrifice.com". I got many responses in my Facebook Inbox of confused, and rather hurt friends. (Now, don't worry. I'm not ACTUALLY sacrificing relationships with any of my friends, I just wanted some grub!) ... and what better way to get free food than through Facebook!? Right now, Burger King has introduced this application (the Whopper Sacrifice) which is getting a heck of a lot of attention recently! Basically, all you have to do is delete (or "sacrifice") 10 friends from your Facebook account and you will receive a tasty flame-grilled burger. Sound like a genius idea? It sure is, and so far it has proven to be a HUGE success for the company. To see how the sacrificing works, go here. In fact, Burger King may have started a flow that many companies may start to imitate. Connecting to your target market via Facebook has been alive and kicking for some time now, but offering FREE products via social networking is a slightly new phenomenon. Will McDonald's take a page out of their competitor's book and copy this genius idea? I would LOVE free coffee, so, come on Starbucks! Come up with a fantastic social networking marketing strategy!
There were several articles written last year about Google Street View and how it is a huge invasion of privacy (see The New York Times article "Google Zooms In Too Close for Some"). But Street View could prove to eliminate crime and help police find criminals in a specific area. Check out this recent story about a woman who allegedly kidnapped her granddaughter, but was ultimately caught by the police who tracked her down using Google.
"Using technology more commonly seen in television crime dramas, an Athol police officer and a deputy chief in the town's Fire Department were able to track a woman and her allegedly kidnapped 9-year-old granddaughter to a motel in south-central Virginia. They notified Virginia State Police, who yesterday arrested Rose M. Maltais of 14 Grove St. without incident around 4:15 p.m.
Natalie Maltais will soon be back home with her legal guardians after Virginia State Police found her with her 52-year-old grandmother, Ms. Maltais, at the Budget Inn in Natural Bridge, Va. Police Chief Timothy C. Anderson said the child and grandmother had been missing since Saturday, when Ms. Maltais picked up Natalie for what was supposed to be a weekend visit. Alarmed by comments made to them by the grandmother that they would never see Natalie again, the child's guardians contacted police. An arrest warrant was then issued for Ms. Maltais charging kidnapping."
Yes. It's true. Facebook has 150 million users. 150 MILLION ACTIVE USERS. There have been predictions that by the end of 2009, this number will reach over 300 million ... and I am not surprised. Facebook is BIG. Bigger than life, even! In fact, out of everyone I know, I only know ONE person who is not on Facebook.
And that one person is my mum. (sorry, mum)
What started out to be only a US service, Facebook has expanded a great deal worldwide, attracting users young and old to the social networking site. So, how much are all of these users worth? Stan Schroeder's article, "Facebook’s 100 Million Users: How Much are They Worth?", on Mashable! explores this question.
"Remember when MySpace announced it had 100 million users, exactly two years ago? It was a big deal, but critics pointed out that many of those user accounts were inactive, and active users are what really counts.
Facebook, on the other hand, has always claimed they don’t sugarcoat their user numbers; they only count active accounts. If you choose to believe them, then today’s unofficial announcement - taken from Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook status update - that Facebook has 100 million users is perhaps even more significant than MySpace’s two year old milestone.
Yes, MySpace got there first, but they had no platform and they had no clear vision - not when it comes to monetization, and not when it comes to organizing the chaos that is MySpace into something meaningful. Facebook hasn’t been the first or even the second social network, but they’ve managed to build this huge user base despite fierce competition; furthermore, their platform (although not without flaws) shows that they know where they want to take it from here.
So, which one would you rather have: A user base that has grown spontaneously, virally, and largely because of sheer novelty, or a user base which you’ve carefully groomed, which is active and using your service because they find it better than the competition? Sure, MySpace has its advantages, like its enormous music community, but I’d say that Facebook’s got the upper hand when it comes to what’s really important: Vision. Their 100 million users may not yet justify the $15 billion valuation they’ve been blessed (or cursed) with, but it’s definitely more than just another meaningless number." (source: Mashable!)
What do you think of Facebook's rapid growth? What do you predict for Facebook in 2009? Comments are appreciated!
Safe and happy travels, always Katy Lynch Community Manager www.whereivebeen.com
Shannon Smith, from Blueye Corp., has been interviewed by Crain's Chicago Business this week. Check it out! ChicagoBusiness is a local business portal founded by Crain Communications Inc., publisher of more than 25 special interest publications, including Crain's Chicago Business — the nation's pre-eminent regional business newspaper. (source: Crain's Chicago Business)
Fields-White writes, "At Blueye Corp., a Chicago-based online media and graphic design firm, founder Shannon Smith expects to generate between 100 and 120 new clients this year as more companies push their digital and online units... 'In almost every recession and economic slowdown, technology is what has pulled people out of each scenario, and I think that's going to happen again,' Ms. Smith says."
The article also addresses the potential effect of the upcoming economic stimulus package, expected to be proposed by Congress and President-elect Obama, on the economy here in Chicago.
Whenever a significant event occurs in history, one of the first questions we ask ourselves, and our friends and family, is "Where was I / where were you when _________ happened?" Sofia Javed, a Where I've Been user, has kindly allowed me to post her most recent blog entry, "Where Was I?", in which she describes two monumental days in history that changed her life, and the world surrounding her, immensely.
"I will always remember where I was at the two moments in my lifetime when my country changed forever. Sept. 11, 2001 When planes flew into the buildings in New York City and Washington, D.C., I was on the other side of the planet in Chirchik, Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is a former Soviet republic in Central Asia. Chirchik is a small urban town just outside of the country’s capital, Tashkent. It was the first place I lived when I arrived in the country as a Peace Corps volunteer. During pre-service training, I lived with an Uzbek family in a run-down Soviet-style apartment building that was surrounded by identical, run-down buildings.
One day after hours of trainings in language, culture and safety, two other volunteers and I went to have dinner at a neighbor’s apartment downstairs. After dinner our Uzbek hosts went to the living room to watch television, and the three of us stayed in the kitchen sipping tea from little bowls and indulging in English conversation. It was around 7 or 8 p.m. The teenager in the host family yelled from the other room, “Hey, come and see, America is on television!” I dismissed it, thinking it must be Britney Spears or some cheesy action movie that narrowly defines our society for people around the world. My friend went to the other room to check it out. I remember hearing her response. “Oh...my…God…” And then, “OH MY GOD!” I raced to the other room and saw her eyes glued to the dinky little television set. The picture was fuzzy, and the colors were faded. But there it was: CNN showing planes flying into buildings, over and over again. The English caption said, “America under attack.”
The audio feed was in Russian, which we didn’t know. Our hosts scrambled to translate the news from Russian into Uzbek, and the three of us called on our few weeks of language lessons to translate the Uzbek into English. This much was clear: something terrible was happening. I went upstairs and got my short-wave radio. We sat in the kitchen where the reception was best. My friends and I stayed up almost all night listening to whatever reports we could find in English. There, in a tiny apartment in Chirchik, Uzbekistan, we listened as the world was changing. Our hosts made us tea and listened with us.
Nov. 4, 2008 In Chicago, my hometown, the masses gathered in Grant Park to celebrate the impending election of the nation’s first black president. But I wasn’t there. I was in a house in New Castle, NH, where another group of people gathered to celebrate something else.
For the past 18 days, I had lived in that house with 10 teenagers from Israel—five Arab Muslims and five Jews—and two of their teachers. They had come to the U.S. for a peace program run by Friends Forever, a New Hampshire-based organization that promotes peace through cross-community youth work. I was the group’s site manager. The 13 of us had spent two and a half weeks in total togetherness, as we completed a schedule packed with public speaking events, teambuilding activities, community service, dialogue workshops and more. The program encouraged the young people to look past their differences and recognize their similarities. For 18 days, they were one group rather than the two groups they had been for generations. They climbed a 3,500-foot mountain together. They visited synagogues, a mosque, a Baha’i community center and a Cherokee tribal council meeting. They ate together, traveled together, sang and danced together. When conflicts arose, they worked through them together, calming the tensions with dialogue and reasoning. It was amazing.
Nov. 4 was the group’s final night together in the U.S., and they decided to make dinner for themselves and some of the program’s supporters. That night some 30 people gathered in the house for a home-cooked Middle Eastern feast: grilled chicken and beef kabobs, tabbouleh, almond rice, a variety of deserts and more. After dinner, the kids gathered around the piano and sang, in Hebrew and Arabic, “Peace will come upon us and upon everyone.” Later that evening, after the guests left, I sat with the teenagers and listened to them reflect on their Friends Forever experience. They were tired of the situation in Israel, and they wanted to know that another life is possible. They had come to the program because they were ready to take the first steps toward a better future.
The votes had been tallied, and the crowds in Grant Park cheered for a man who had promised the world change. I wasn’t there. I was in a home in New Castle, NH, cheering for 10 teenagers who had promised themselves the same thing." (source: Tokoni)
.jpg){kind=tracking}
.jpg){kind=tracking}
