Over two years ago when I was down in the dumps, dejected, and looking for something to help change my life, I stumbled across a New York Times article about three girls who traveled around the world: Holly, Amanda, and Jen dubbed themselves “The Lost Girls” and had just completed a round-the-world trip, blogging all the way through. Professional writers all working in the New York publishing industry, they left their corporate-ladder careers and headed off for a year for a globe-circling odyssey of their own. Back in America, they upped the ante on their blog, turning it into a full-scale travel portal for independent travelers. They even took time out from their hectic schedules to provide me with advice on how to travel cheap, light, and fabulous.

Now they too have a book that’s just launched — and even managed to snag a Life section cover story in USA Today. Their journeys differed from mine — as then-twentysomethings, they did it the more traditional backpacking way (what can I say… I’m a bigger princess than they are); they also traveled (mostly) together, a challenge on its own for three friends over the span of a year.

Congrats, ladies… I look forward to following in your footsteps!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

I don’t photograph well.

Oh sure, we all know those people who, when you see them in pictures, always elicit the remark “wow, you look AMAZING!” I personally know a few of the people, reasonable-looking guys and gals all. But somehow the camera holds this magical power to conceal their flaws and highlight their best traits.

Me, I’m lucky if I don’t look like a toad. I’m in very few of the pictures of my trip, and of the couple-of-dozen or so that I am in (remember this is over seven months), I maybe look presentable in two of them.

To that end, my publicity professional, Angela “The Maven,” send me to the wonderful folks at Orange Photography posthaste for a decent headshot to grace my cover and other promo materials.

Arriving at their studio in San Francisco’s waterfront section, two things hit me: one, it’s the first time I’ve been professionally photographed since one of my sisters’ weddings almost a decade back. Two, this whole publicity thing is weird: aside from helping to organize (and direct) a charity telethon in college, I’ve never been one for the limelight. Puppet-mastery is more my thing… hence my past work in movies as an assistant editor, and present-day job in computer software at (mostly) congenial but anonymous companies. I kind-of like it that way: being an unknown allows one a lot more freedom.

Still, the book demands promotion, so off for my close-up I went. Entering the nondescript industrial building through the lobby-cum-loading dock, I marched up to the second floor, down a corridor wide enough to accommodate a Mack truck, and into Orange’s capacious studios overlooking San Francisco’s last electric substation — which I thought was almost a cool enough backdrop to use in my picture.

Angela insisted on being there to ensure the right kind of pictures were taken — one previous client had been photographed in pith helmet coming out of the bushes… clever and all, but not exactly what they were going for. Good homo that I am, I brought an assortment of clothing; as the minutes ticked by and Angela didn’t arrive, we began snapping away. I now see how pros do it: they make you relax and pose naturally, the way you want, and in so doing capture you at your best. Tweaks and suggestions are made subtly, so that you’re posing without even realizing it.

Half an hour later, a flustered Angela showed up… in addition to a prior meeting that ran forever, her status as long-time San Francisco resident led her to think the Dogpatch was somewhere else entirely… I mean, in 1998 who the heck had even heard of this part of town, much less been there? In any case, she more than proved her mettle by flipping through the pictures we took on the digital camera screen — and instantly knew we had what we needed. I quip that I feel like I’m channeling Katherine Hepburn in our chosen shot — or rather, the old SNL sketch of a hypothetical nephew of hers (“On Sundays I get up and eat a laahge bowl of BRAN!”) — but damn, I daresay it looks good:

They say not to judge a book by its cover… but really, everyone does. So it’s critical to have something that’s impactful, distinctive, and sends the right message about what’s inside.

My original concept was to include a picture of myself, facing back (I’m not known as the most photogenic guy in the world) with my backpack plainly visible and on it, a rainbow flag where most people would put their national flag (yes, during the actual trip I did the oh-so-predictable and had a Canuck flag… but oh, the marvels of Photoshop). This looked fine, but the feeling was that this stamped the book with a youth/budget travel moniker — when in fact the story is about so much more than just that.

The original designer, a friend of mine, wasn’t available for revisions, and another friend who took a stab at it was insistent on leaving in the backpacker image and wouldn’t hear otherwise; finally, a super team right here in San Francisco managed to get it done quickly and affordably… and I daresay were the first to nail the book title and concept with simple, visual iconography.

So thanks again to Lisa and Nicole at MindHive Design — you’re the greatest!

So I’ve been asked by a number of people — I mean… I can’t have gone seven months around the world and written NOTHING, right?

Here’s a guest post I did not too long ago on Solo Traveler, a blog whose title is pretty self-explanatory. In my posting I discussed flashpacking — what it is, how to do it, why it’s so often misunderstood. I’ve reprinted the full text of the post below or you can visit it here.

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If there’s one thing backpackers love to hate, it’s “flashpacking,” loosely defined as backpacking with a few frills. “It’s not a real experience,” “you won’t meet people,” “You won’t see the true [fill in the destination of your choice].” All untrue: It’s eminently possible to travel more comfortably than the backpacker norm and still garner incredible adventures. Here’s how:

1. Hang with friends (and family)

This applies to everyone, not just flashpackers: if you have contacts or kin anywhere you’re going, make a point to look them up. In much of the world hospitality is highly prized, and friends and relatives may be eager to put you up. Assuming these folks have the space and the inclination, you can be assured of a decent place to sleep and possibly a great tour guide in an unfamiliar locale.

2. Stay local

What if you don’t have cousins in Cape Town or buddies in Beijing? Staying at a Westin or Marriott isn’t the best-value alternative: international chains charge a hefty premium for predictability. But comfort can be had for a lot less at smaller midrange accommodations geared at local travelers. In expensive cities like Rome or Tokyo, sweet private rooms can be had for under $100 a night; in Bangkok, Bali, or smaller Indian centers $30 to $50 is the norm. Plus many hostels in Europe, Australia, and especially New Zealand offer private rooms for about $50 a night.

3. Scour the web

The days of leafing through guidebooks or traipsing from guesthouse to hotel are mostly behind us; guidebook recommendations can date quickly, but online resources offer current reviews from fellow travelers. The best-known of these are TripAdvisor (hotels and guesthouses), and Hostelworld (hostels and other budget digs).

4. Gear up – but not too much

Portable electronics have never been cheaper: in addition to digital cameras are iPods (perfect for that just-right playlist atop Macchu Pichu), unlocked cellphones, and especially netbook computers. Internet cafés can be handy – and they are everywhere – but there’s nothing like having a basic machine of your own for privacy and convenience.

5. Socialize

Private accommodations mean you’ll have to work a little harder to meet people – but not too much harder. If you’re staying in a hostel room you can still take advantage of group activities – beer-tasting nights in Belgium or a downstairs bar or dining room. If you identify with any subgroup – gay, Jewish, Rastafarian, role-playing gamer, whatever – by all means make the effort to connect with that crowd.

6. Mix it up

Vary your accommodations choices; the best part about having a little extra cash is flexibility: try a hostel room in one place, a guesthouse in another, a bed & breakfast somewhere else, even a fancier hotel if you snag a deal (hint: off season is best).

7. Flex your points

If you’re flashpacking you’ve probably traveled some already. This is a great time to use those frequent flyer miles: alliances such as Star Alliance and OneWorld offer great value-for-miles awards on long-haul, multi-destination trips; for the equivalent of a simple round-trip to Europe you can fly a half-dozen or more (non round-trip) segments. The rules can be a bit involved and there’s some advance planning required – but most of these awards allow date changes with no extra charge. Some award categories even offer business class for not a whole lot extra. Comfort on a budget – now that’s what flashpacking’s really about.

This is the place to learn about updates and info for Wander the Rainbow, a chronicle of a single gay man traveling around the world. In addition to information about the book and its release, we’ll be highlighting information useful to world travelers, gay travelers, readers of travel literature, or those interested in random bits about independent publishing in the Internet age.

Wander on!