This last weekend I had the chance to go to SXSW Interactive in Austin.  Having worked in web marketing and in our efforts in building the DIWYY website, I’ve heard a lot about this geeky event and wanted to go, but never really thought that it would have any good info pertaining to travel.  Boy was I wrong! I learned so much from attending panels, discussions and the “Day of the Nomad” and wanted to pass along some of the things I learned.

You Don’t Have To Be A Travel Writer to Make Money and Travel

Of the many people I met at southby, many of them were from all around the country and a lot were from somewhere other than the States. I saw quite a few Australians and Brits. OK. So what’s my point? Most of these people are in the tech or design industry. They often travel for conferences and business meetings.  So why do so many travel websites focus on travel writing as a means to travel? It’s not the only way. In fact, I would say that you could probably travel more comfortably as a tech geek than a travel writer.

For example, check out Phil Campbell, a Brit, who I spoke to briefly on the Day of the Nomad.  He’s undeniably a tech geek, but a very cool geek. Check out his current projects, but mostly check out his Digital Nomad Jacket (not quite women’s fashion ready yet, but definitely very nomad friendly). He’s got a QR code on his jacket that leads to a copy of his passport! How geeky, cool and convenient is that?

Learn a New Trade and Oh The Places You’ll Go

Another interesting guy I met, Mark J. Walsh, Jr., had just come back from six months in Antarctica only to make it just in time to New Zealand for the earthquake on his first day back.  How does one manage to spend six months in the arctic you ask? Yes, I certainly did. Mark said he trained to become a professional weather observer just so he could realize his dream of going to Antarctica. Such a fascinating story and great guy. On top of that, Mark makes these super cool, lightweight but durable wallets specifically for travelers. Fashioned out of the sail material used on sailboats, Mark designs and sews, yes sews, the wallets himself. And he did this while he was in Antarctica.  Yes, in case you’re wondering, Mark’s carry-on to the arctic was a sewing machine. Check out his beautiful wallets and get one for yourself on his website, BareFoot Wallets.

Become a one woman (or man) Samantha Brown (or Rick Steves) by hosting your own tours

At the trade show portion of SXSWi I ran upon a booth called iTourU. They created an app that “lets you discover, experience, publish and share pocket tours about anything. Guide friends through foreign cities, pass on your local knowledge and curate the experiences of others.” Seriously, how much fun does this sound? I can’t wait to use this app and I really can’t wait to see what you do too! Please share with us your tours!

Geeks Travel Too ( I would now happily, classify myself as a Geek)!

The Day of the Nomad, the great idea of Chris and Cherie from Technomadia, was a huge success. So many location independents, nomad wannabes and tech nomads were in attendance to the session Technomadism – Becoming a Technology Enabled Nomad hosted by Cherie & Chris and How to Make Money While Traveling Around the World discussion hosted by Jason Boehle & Tynan. I had the chance to finally meet Matt of Nomadicmatt.com fame, Gary of Everything Everywhere, the lovely Anis from Tripping and Carmen from NuNomad. Hopefully, they do it again next year. I will definitely be there!

Austin is Amazing!

I already knew this, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded-Austin is an amazing city. If you’ve never been, go! If you’ve been before, go again. Hopefully we’ll see you at SXSW 2012!

This post was written by DIWYY co-founder, Jerri Stephenson, a traveler and a geek.

…or maybe you have but it doesn’t hurt to contemplate them again.

These days so many people are talking about blogging and writing as ways to fund your travels.  Like the saying goes “Nice work, if you can find it.” Travel blogging can eventually pay but certainly don’t expect for it pay off quickly. Some travelers who have blogged their way around the world only begin to realize any financial gains after they’ve returned from their treks. Those you hear about who do make money from their travel writing have been practicing their trade for a while. Many will probably tell you that they worked additional jobs while making a name for themselves as paid travel writers. Now don’t misunderstand me, I have nothing against travel writing. At DIWYY we FULLY support travel writers! We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. Just like a financial investment, don’t put all your eggs in one basket (I sound like your mom, don’t I?).

So what can you do now that will get you money to travel the world? In my travels I’ve met several different types of people who didn’t use their laptop and  free WiFi:

Massage Therapist

When I lived on a sailboat at St. John island in the USVI I went to Caneel Bay for a massage. My massage therapist told me she was there at the resort for the season along with her husband who was working as an electrician on the island.  She said that she and her husband were working their way down the Caribbean getting jobs as they go in their trades.  In the Caribbean, especially in the tourist areas, hotels love hiring contract massage therapists. They supply the room, you supply your hands. How much did she make for that session? $120 plus 15% tip. Not too bad!

Chef

In my travels I met many chefs who either worked as personal chefs or in restaurants.  If you have skills from culinary school or having just worked in the kitchen at restaurants that’s good enough.

Yacht Crew

I worked as a stewardess on private sailing and motor yachts in the Caribbean.  I worked as a day worker until I made enough money to go for my STCW 95.  Once I had my certification I sent my resume to the crew agencies and started fielding calls from captains all over the world who needed crew. It was easy to be selective if I didn’t feel comfortable with the captain or crew.  Google “yacht crew agency” the top 10 listings are all reputable agencies to work with. Some people volunteer on boats as well. It’s a good way to get free transportation, food and accomodation.

Personal Assistant

After I worked on yachts I worked as a personal assistant. A lot of former yachties do it.  Sometimes the males work as “estate managers.” It’s great pay, benefits and if you work for someone famous it’s a little exciting.  I traveled with my boss in his private jet to his various homes.  It took a minute to get use to the idea, but I had so much fun and my boss was so great.  Check out Distinguished Domestics for job listings

Yoga Instructor or Personal Trainer

If you have any certifications in health either as a nutritionist, fitness instructor or pilates or yoga teacher you can go anywhere.  Sometimes even private yachts hire on-board personal trainers or massage therapists.  If you have the skills and the determination you can find these jobs in any destination or just work freelance.

Last of all, for many of these jobs you will need some sort of business card to give to potential clients.  Check out Kristina’s post on moo.com business cards. We use them for DIWYY and we love them!

DIWYY has a new travel jobs board. Check out the listings for TEFL positions, hospitality jobs and much, much more!

Jerri Stephenson, co-founder of DIWYY, worked her way around the world for four years with her largest belongings being her surfboard and her trusty Kelty backpack.

Recently a friend of mine and I decided we needed a getaway just for the night. Not just any getaway – a luxury getaway. We decided that we deserved the best hotel, the best service, and most of the all, the most comfortable beds we could find so we could sleep. Yeah, I know, how exciting we are!

We were looking for hotels in San Antonio and I immediately knew where we had to stay: Omni La Mansión del Rio. I made my decision based on only two reasons 1) It’s an Omni 2) It’s an Omni. My friend readily agreed to share a room with me. Being the spontaneous person that I am, I immediately got on my iPhone, looked up rooms and booked the room in the span of about 3 minutes.  So incredibly easy!

The room was absolutely gorgeous! It was an economy room with double beds and even though it was one of the more affordable rooms available it still felt like a luxury. Although advertised as small, to me, having stayed in hotel rooms in Europe and NYC it felt large and roomy. The room featured:
•Contemporary décor featuring muted earth tones, exposed brick and Spanish colonial touches.
•32” flat screen television.
•Luxurious marble full bathroom with hair dryer and marble vanity outside of the bathroom
•The most comfortable bathrobes you’ve even had in your life

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From it’s French doors leading out, the room overlooked a quiet, small Spanish style courtyard. The area we were located in at the hotel was not heavy with traffic so we were not bothered with hearing housekeeping or guests entering or leaving.  Around the corner from the room was a gigantic ballroom which was hosting a wedding reception but unless we were outside the room we were unable to hear the liveliness.

My friend and I had considered going swimming during our stay. The pool was outdoor and heated, but unfortunately it was a little too rainy and cold outside for us during our stay and there wasn’t a hot tub so we did without.  We were also a little disappointed in the Spa.  To get there we had to go across the street to another hotel that was affiliated with ours.  The prices for massages were outrageous. So again, we did without.  Our last little grievance was Internet connection.  It was a pay to use Internet connection so instead of paying the $10 a day, I used my Verizon Mi-fi and my friend and I could both connect to the Internet using it as a hubspot.

Overall, we accomplished exactly everything we planned on doing. We rested, we slept, we lounged. It was a fantastic stay.

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The article was written by DIWYY co-founder, Jerri Stephenson, who is obsessed with hotel beds.

SXSWi 2011 is coming up March 11 – 15, 2011.  If you’re planning on making a trip out to Austin to get your geek on then we have a few suggestions on how to bid your time while in the Live Music Capital of the World.

Getting There: Austin’s main airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), is situated a little outside Austin city limits, but luckily isn’t too far of a taxi ride into downtown Austin.  There are also plenty of car rental options at the airport if you feel like a little independence.

Where to Stay: Unless you have already reserved your hotel downtown near the Austin Convention Center either through SXSW’s hotel reservation system or on your own, you probably will have very little luck reserving one so late in the game. Fret not! There are many more hotels in Austin that, while not within walking distance of SXSW, are still available and even on the shuttle route to and from SXSW. The SXSW website has a list of hotels that are participating in the shuttle service.  If a hotel isn’t a possibility, check out craigslist for temporary apartments, rooms, couches or you can also look into Couch Surfing, airbnb, or HomeAway.

How to Get Around: If you’re staying in a hotel near the Austin Convention Center and not really planning on doing much driving, there may be no need for you to rent a vehicle for your stay.  Downtown Austin is easily walkable and public transportation is very accessible. Shuttle passes for those staying outside of downtown to and from SXSW are available for $40 if purchased before February 15. Austin’s public transportation, Capital Metro, is a popular option for SXSW attendees.  You can plan your excursions on the Metro website or on Google Transit.  Getting around downtown Austin should be pretty easy; however, if you’re planning on making any trips outside of Austin, logistics may get a little more complicated if you’re going any direction other than toward the airport.

Where to Dine: Options for eating out are plentiful. But remember that you can’t good Tex-Mex outside of Texas so don’t let the opportunity pass you by.

Where to Drink: Um, just about anywhere. Don’t ask me, ask the crowd where they are going!

What to Do: There’s going to be plenty of parties to attend while at SXSWi. If you want to venture out a little and enjoy the Austin nightlife one option that shouldn’t be overlooked is La Zona Rosa. LZR is a local live music venue that hosts many different genres of performers.  If you have time, check out the lineup and enjoy!  do512 has hundreds of parties listed that are specific to SXSW attendees. There are so many party and event options available this site may make it even more difficult to decide what to do. Or just go to all of them. No one sleeps at SXSW anyway.

If you’re on Twitter, and you are because everyone at SXSWi is, then just follow some of the popular hashtags and learn where everyone’s headed.  Keep your Gowalla and Foursquare handy as well, as you’ll be seeing tons of check-ins all night across Austin.

Follow Our Revolution‘s epic trek to SXSW! Their roadtrip from NYC down to Austin and back up to Boston after SXSW will include stopovers in cities along they way.  Their mission is

“Sparked by the need to share the social good that is occurring in the world, Our Revolution Road trip will connect these sustainable models and the innovators who are creating them in totally new and wildly playful ways. Our trip is designed to change the world — and will be curated by a team of award-winning creatives and entrepreneurs with more than a decade’s experience making breakthrough social, independent and grassroot change.“

Our Revolution has teamed up with Tripping.com for this noble venture and you can follow Our Revolution’s trip on their Tripping network page.

Some interesting travel related events we’ll be attending:

Sunday, March 13

11:00AM – Technomadism – Becoming a Technology Enabled Nomad hosted by Cherie & Chris of Technomadia

12:30PM – How to Make Money Traveling Around the World hosted by Jason Boehle of Golden Book Traveler

2:00PM – Nomadic SXSW Meetup

Photo courtesy of smeidu

Written by DIWYY’s Jerri Stephenson, who loves Austin and you will too!

Presentation slides from May 25, 2010, webinar with Oliver Gradwell from I Wish Gap Year and Jerri Stephenson and Christine Amorose of DIWYY.

Several years ago I purchased a Kelty Illusion 3500 Backpack for Ladies at Bass Pro Shops and reviewed it on my personal blog, One Girl, Her Backpack and a Passion for Travel.  I was so in love with this backpack and took it everywhere I possibly could.  I literally lived out of this bag and named my blog after it. Obsessed some might say.

Recently, I’ve come across a new bag that I’m in love with, again from Kelty- the Kelty Redwing 3100. While it’s not as large as the last Kelty bag I had, it doesn’t need to be, because this time I’m not carrying everything I own on my back like last time.

The bag is the right size for week to two week long trips (ladies – I’m sorry to say it won’t carry all your shoes. These day when I travel I sometimes have an entire bag meant for shoes only. I know you can commiserate.) but versatile and small enough for using day to day use. Being a college student who carries a laptop and gigantic Biology and Chemistry books around, I’m thankful for the internal suspension giving a little extra back support. The Redwing can also be used as a carry-on and maybe the only bag you need when flying. But beware, it expands so it could actually get too big to be a carry-on on some airlines.

The days of needing gigantic backpacks like my old Kelty Illusion are gone. This backpack can fit just about every reasonable thing you need and then some. You might find yourself actually overpacking. In that case, I recommend Kristina’s packing list and adjusting it to fit your needs and space.  My Illusion was quite long and if I managed to drop anything and had to bend over, I could easily topple over. This backpack isn’t like that. Although the version isn’t built specifically for women, it’s small enough to be comfortable for a medium build, 5’4″ girl like me.

Over the next couple of months our DIWYY team will be reviewing the Kelty Redwing 3100 and sharing their personal opinions. With each of us having very different lifestyles, we’ll see how the Redwing adjusts to the adversity! At the end of the next couple of months (July 19, 2010 to be exact), we’ll give away a Kelty Redwing 3100 courtesy of Kelty. You can find the contest information on the entry page! Good luck and happy travels!

Review by Jerri, co-founder of DIWYY