Do you dream of living a creative and adventurous life? One where you answer to no one but yourself while traveling the world, exploring your passions and connecting with fun and like-minded people?
The 44 creative and adventurous bloggers below are each on an unconventional life path like that. Most are trying to become completely self reliant while getting out to see the world first-hand. Some are at the beginning and some are well on their way. All of them are fun and inspirational to read.
I’ve befriended many of the people on this list this year. The community that has grown up recently around living an unconventional life of self-sufficiency and adventure is encouraging and supportive. Check these bloggers out tell me who your favorites are in the comments!
Side note: the bloggers are listed here in reverse Alexa ranking order (a rough approximation of how popular a website is). The lesser known bloggers come first and the better known come at the end. I figure that the blogs you may not already know can use a little more attention.
Here they are, 44 creative and adventurous bloggers you should know:
- Andrew Badenoch – Sail to Trail
- Ashley Ambirge – The Middle Finger Project
- Clay – This Guy Loves to Party
- Ross Collicutt – Rcthink
- Carl Nelson – Drop of Change
- James Schipper – Live Collar Free
- Casey Armstrong – The Journey is Our Goal
- DeeAnne White – Live the Charmed Life
- Dwight Turner – In Search of Sanuk
- Derek Johanson – Live Uncomfortably
- Nate Damm – the way that you wander
- Brooke Ferguson – Business Backpacker
- Chris Dunphy & Cherie Ve Ard – Technomadia
- Stephanie Yoder – Twenty-Something Travel
- David Walsh – Muselife
- Andy Hayes – Sharing Travel Experiences
- Carmen Bolanos – NuNomad
- Jonny Gibaud – The Life Thing
- Sarah Bray – S.Joy Studios
- Karen Hill – Dreamin’ the Life
- Robert Granholm – The Life Design Project
- Sean Ogle – Location 180
- Alan Perlman – the 9 to 5 alternative
- J.D. Bentley – Wage Slave Rebel
- Amber Zuckswert – Epic Self
- Dan Haneveer – Voyagner
- Bud Hennekes – A Boundless World
- John Bardos – Jet Set Citizen
- Dave Damron – LifeExcursion
- Greg Rollett – Rock Star Lifestyle Design
- Matt Cheuvront – Life Without Pants
- Colin Wright – Exile Lifestyle
- Kirsty – Nerdy Nomad
- Lea Woodward – Location Independent
- Diggy – Upgrade Reality
- Josh Hanagarne – World’s Strongest Librarian
- Justin Wright – Justin Wright
- Tynan – Tynan
- Cody McKibben – Thrilling Heroics
- Christine Gilbert – Almost Fearless
- Adam Baker – Man vs. Debt
- Matt Kepnes – Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site
- Glen Allsop – PlugInID
- Dragos Roua – Dragos Roua
Site tagline: Join the crusade of one man’s transformation from urban professional to global adventurer.
Andrew says: “We remain confused by the great crowds subjugated by endless work, repressed by imaginary masters, and guided by manufactured fears as much as they remain confused by our freedom and ability to experience.”
Why you should check this blog out: Andrew lives aboard a sailboat, runs an ad agency and is on a quest to explore more of planet earth than anyone in history using only human, wind, and solar power.
Most recent post: Ultimate Skill: Becoming an Elite Kayaker
Site tagline: Rejecting the Status Quo & Rebelling Against Mediocrity
Ashley says: “I will challenge you to a beer drinking contest, and I will win.”
Why you should check this blog out: Ashley just started this blog about lifestyle design recently, but I already look forward to each of her new posts. Her writing style is witty and funny and the blog is definitely worth checking out.
Most recent post: 33 Tell-Tale Signs You’re a Closet Lifestyle Designer
Clay says: “I woke up one day in early 2008 and realized that my life was really, really boring.”
Why you should check this blog out: I actually met Clay in person last week with his friend Derek from Live Uncomfortably. Clay doesn’t really love to party as the name of his site would suggest. He is funny however, as the irony of not loving to party (but naming your site “This Guy Loves to Party”) would suggest.
Most recent post: From Geek to Freak: How I Piled on Muscle and Transformed My Body in Just 30 Minutes
Site tagline: Thoughts about adventures on the computer and in the fresh air
Ross says: “I’m a cross between an adrenaline junkie and a geek that programs and loves tech toys.”
Why you should check this blog out: Ross is an interesting combination of technologist and outdoorsman. He’s currently in Australia and New Zealand on an extended break from work and school.
Most recent post: Creating the Life List
Site tagline: Creating Sustainable, Curious and Mindful Living
Carl says: “…sustainable change occurs only through a mindful pursuit of action.”
Why you should check this blog out: Carl recently rebranded himself from his prior blog called Slacker Reform to this new blog about creating change. He realized that he wanted his work to embody more of the intersection of social action, green/sustainable living, and mindful lifestyle design. I’m looking forward to seeing where his new blog goes.
Most recent post: The Affiliate Marketing Blunder
Site tagline: Lifestyle Without Limits
James says: “I have a distaste for doing things that don’t make much sense.”
Why you should check this blog out: James just started blogging last month, but spent many months getting to know people in the lifestyle design blogging community prior to starting his blog. That and his solid writing have helped him grow a strong readership after just a month.
Most recent post: Book Review: Reclaim Your Dreams
Casey says: “I created this blog to help share some of my travel adventures, random anecdotes on enjoying life, books & music I recommend, and blogging, but it will all focus on an optimistic outlook on living life to the fullest.”
Why you should check this blog out: Casey first started blogging in April 2008 when he left California for his “Trip Around the World.” He went backpacking for 13 months with time spent in Thailand, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mexico.
Most recent post: Photo of the Week: Misty Mountain Tops
Site tagline: the elegant guide to lifestyle design
DeeAnne says: “I’ll be writing about my current adventure in which I travel the world in high heels, redesign my career, follow the sport of cricket and possibly break 90 on the golf course.”
Why you should check this blog out: DeeAnne has a much different perspective that most bloggers on this list. She’s at a different place in her life, where she’s already had a career and raised kids. She travels in comfort and writes about many of the finer things in life.
Most recent post: 3 Signs You May Be Charmed
Site tagline: Funlanthropy, A Lifestyle of Having Fun Helping People
Dwight says: “Where is your city? Where is your community? Wake up, take ownership and throw your hand in.”
Why you should check this blog out: Dwight lives in Thailand where he works to live a lifestyle of fun and giving. He and friends like Cody McKibben of Thrilling Heroics started In Search of Sanuk (“sanuk” means fun in Thai) as a community where people can collaborate on fun ways to change the world around them.
Most recent post: Sanuk My Saturday
Site tagline: Self Improvement, Lifestyle Design, Travel
Derek says: “Living Uncomfortably is doing the unaccustomed everyday to break the cycle of routine and boredom.”
Why you should check this blog out: Derek is a perpetual nomad who supports himself through small online ventures, like his 007 Lifestyle Guide. He recently biked the Pacific Coast trail from Canada to Mexico and is planning a long-term trip to Mexico this spring.
Most recent post: My Life Is Threatened In Colombia (2 of 2)
Site tagline: thoughts on lifestyle design and entrepreneurship
Nate says: “I am helplessly in love with the Food Network”
Why you should check this blog out: Nate is obsessed with helping people create a lifestyle of complete freedom. He also runs a Free WordPress Install service to help people get started blogging.
Most recent post: Soap. Lather. Rinse. Repeat – The art of living free in the moment while naked in the shower
Site tagline: A Community for Digital Nomads and Vagabond Entrepreneurs
Brooke says: “We started this blog to reach out to … help other entrepreneurs who want to build a business they can operate from anywhere in the world. How frickin’ exciting is that??!!”
Why you should check this blog out: Brooke has led adventure travel groups across the U.S. and traveled the world. She consults with small business owners to take their message to a global audience and loves to encourage others to create the business & lifestyle of their dreams.
Most recent post: Changing Yourself, or Changing the World?
Site tagline: Tales from Technomadia
Chris and Cherie say: “We’re a couple of technomads – traveling, living, working and playing full-time in a small solar powered RV, embracing nomadic serendipity.”
Why you should check this blog out: Chris and Cherie don’t have a home base or long-range plan. They live in a small RV, work from the road and go wherever they decide to on a whim.
Most recent post: Farewell Jeep, Hello Tundra
Site tagline: Why wait to see the world?
Stephanie says: “I’m just a girl who can not sit still.”
Why you should check this blog out: Stephanie got a taste of the adventurous life last year while living in London and backpacking around Europe. Unfortunately, her work visa expired and she ran out of money eventually. She’s now in Washington D.C. working and saving and planning her next trip around the world.
Most recent post: Mostar: From the Ruins
Site tagline: Muse creation, personal outsourcing, ultramobility and the new rich lifestyle.
David says: “While traditional jobs provide an income in exchange for your time, a muse provides an income in exchange for your foresight, ingenuity and willingness to take a different approach to making money.”
Why you should check this blog out: David is probably the person most dedicated to exploring and sharing the possibilities of supporting yourself with recurring, passive income which operates without repeated effort or maintenance.
Most recent post: You Are Not A Machine, Stop Working Like One (w/ Robert Granholm of The Life Design Project)
Site tagline: Travel more.
Andy says: “We tell travel tales and we share travel experiences – the good and the bad.”
Why you should check this blog out: This site is more than just a blog. Andy and his team also offer a travel concierge service as well as travel specials and deals.
Most recent post: Dream Adventures in Canada
Site tagline: Work While Traveling the World
Carmen says: “We’ll share with you what we know about the process of going from work-at-home to work-anywhere-you-damn-well-please.”
Why you should check this blog out: NuNomad aims to be a complete resource about working from anywhere for both aspiring “NuNomads” as well as people already living and working on the road.
Most recent post: Design Your Lifestyle to Lose Weight Without Diet or Exercise – Really!
Site tagline: Witty, Entertaining and Depressingly Helpful
Jonny says: “I own three things I cannot live without – – My MacBook Pro, My Cannon DSLR and my Fossil Watch – everything else is disposable…”
Why you should check this blog out: Jonny is currently living in Bangkok, supporting himself working less than 6 hours a week online. He does that by following principles he created called “Light Touch Living.”
Most recent post: No Gumpy Boy, Life Is Like A Thai Massage
Site tagline: Websites & strategy for rockstars and gonnabes.
Sarah says: “I work with online rockstars and gonnabes of every variety, aligning their particular genius with brand-building design and strategy. In other words, I build websites. For rockstars.”
Why you should check this blog out: Sarah has a great little web design and strategy business going, but it won’t be little for long. She has figured out ways to market and brand herself that really work and people are starting to notice.
Most recent post: The myth of the niche
Site tagline: Want to be Livin’ the Dream? First, you need to start Dreamin’ the Life!
Karen says: “I find that the more I write about lessons I have learned, the more I am able to reinforce the lessons to myself.”
Why you should check this blog out: Karen is just figuring things out for herself, and she’s not afraid to be open and honest about both successes and failures.
Most recent post: Patience is a Virtue I Don’t Always Have
Site tagline: REAL LIFE testing of lifestyle design, efficiency, automating money, fulfilling dreams and more…
Robert says: “Our end goal? Freedom to live out dreams and notes on exactly how we did it.”
Why you should check this blog out: Robert and his partner Brandon are on a mission to dissect exactly what is possible in lifestyle design (following books like the 4 Hour Workweek). They are sharing all the realities of creating income sources online.
Most recent post: Keeping up with the Lifestyle Joneses
Sean says: “I am just a guy trying to get the most out of life that I possibly can.”
Why you should check this blog out: Sean is on a collision course with his ideal lifestyle after leaving his job last month. I can’t wait to see where Sean ends up.
Most recent post: What Defines Success?
Site tagline: travel, lifestyle design, entrepreneurship
Alan says: “The 9 to 5 alternative is a way for me to chronicle my travels and meet like-minded folk such as yourselves.”
Why you should check this blog out: Alan has a really unique job that allows him to see the world while earning a living. He’s a global cost of living surveyor on a global scavenger hunt.
Most recent post: Dushanbe, Tajikistan: Earthquake Aftershock, Mitsubishi and a Cheap Bribe
Site tagline: Lessons in dismantling the status quo
J.D. says: “Wage Slave Rebel was founded as an online hub for the ever-growing digital community of freelancers, artists, bloggers, consultants, lifestyle designers and entrepreneurs, all of whom we collectively call ‘Wage Slave Rebels.'”
Why you should check this blog out: J.D. doesn’t pull any punches. He’s known for his sharp commentary on the status quo and disdain for empty platitudes people in the lifestyle design community tend to make.
Most recent post: Rich Beyond Your Dreams
Site tagline: Awaken your mind, strengthen your body, refresh your spirit
Amber says: “This blog is not about finding a quick fix to lifes problems that won’t last, but finding a way to live that will have you dancing into your 90’s.”
Why you should check this blog out: Earlier this year, Amber packed up her life and became completely mobile. She’s now officially a digital nomad living out of just two backpacks.
Most recent post: The Simple Life
Site tagline: Adventure Travel and Lifestyle Design
Dan says: “I say screw the naysayers, let’s do this.”
Why you should check this blog out: Dan is currently working in IT support while he builds up a side income from various web projects. He’s planning to start traveling full time later this year, starting in Southeast Asia.
Most recent post: Happiness Is The Key To Success
Bud says: “At 18, I believe I have a unique perspective on the topic of personal growth.”
Why you should check this blog out: You may notice that there are a lot of young bloggers on this list. Why is that? Maybe their youth makes them optimistic and open? Maybe this generation is just different. Whatever the case, Bud is a great example of the fact that you can have something meaningful to share, no matter your age.
Most recent post: Benefits of a Mastermind
Site tagline: Celebrating Global Citizens in Pursuit of an Excellent Life!
John says: “Stop consuming things and start experiencing life.”
Why you should check this blog out: John and his wife are on a one-year plan to free themselves from their small business (teaching English in Japan) so they can move to a new country by April, 2010.
Most recent post: Digital Nomad Blog Carnival
Site tagline: Making Your Excursion Through Life More Enjoyable
Dave says: “LifeExcursion is not the light at the end of the tunnel, but the guide to reaching that desired destination.”
Why you should check this blog out: In addition to traveling to cool places like Tasmania, Dave is also focused on general physical and mental well being. Dave recently scored a 17.3 on the RealAge test on his 26th birthday.
Most recent post: Giving Without Receiving
Site tagline: Lifestyle Design + Internet Marketing
Greg says: “I challenge you to begin doing something that you not only love, but that makes a difference in the world.”
Why you should check this blog out: Greg is a busy guy, but he also manages to find time to help people less fortunate than himself. He splits his time between new media marketing and causes that benefit the homeless and hungry.
Most recent post: Gen-Y Lifestyle Design – Opening a Restaurant in Costa Rica
Site tagline: Life, a little less restricted
Matt says: “I create my own reality, and in it, no one wears pants, no one is afraid to say what’s on their mind, no one is afraid of failure and self doubt is a thing of the past.”
Why you should check this blog out: Matt blogs on a wide variety of topics, from philosophy to marketing to Gen Y and always manages to keep his posts interesting and relevant. He’s just 24 years old and appears to have a bright future ahead of him as a blogger.
Most recent post: The Inconvenience of Change Ebook Has Arrived!
Site tagline: home of location independent sustainable designer and lifehacker, Colin Wright
Colin says: “I started the Exile Lifestyle project to bring some semblance of order to a series of changes that I am instituting in my life.”
Why you should check this blog out: Colin is in Buenos Aires now, running his sustainable web design business, and will be moving to a new country every 4 months. He lets his readers vote on where he moves next. He’ll be in New Zealand in a couple of months.
Most recent post: How To Embed Your First Impressions
Kirsty says: “I want to learn a language that nobody would ever expect me to speak so I can spy on people on the bus.”
Why you should check this blog out: Kirsty has been travelling since January 2008 living off earnings from the web. She is currently in Indonesia.
Most recent post: Life in Rural Indonesia Post Earthquake
Site tagline: Live & Work Anywhere You Choose
Lea says: “Who says you have to live by the rules?”
Why you should check this blog out: Lea and her husband Jonathan are the original Location Independent Professsionals (LIPs). They’ve had an unmistakable impact on the community of people who strive to live and work anywhere they choose.
Most recent post: The Official Location Independent Blog Carnival (with a twist!) #2
Site tagline: Your perception of reality IS reality
Diggy says: “Life is what you make of it, and you can have it just the way you like it.”
Why you should check this blog out: Diggy is a close friend of Glen Allsop (another blogger on this list). Diggy just recently started blogging, but obviously Glen’s success is rubbing off on him since he’s already becoming well known in the Self Improvement space.
Most recent post: From Laid Off to Successful Entrepreneur – The Pat Flynn Story
Site tagline: Get Stronger, Get Smarter, Live Better… Every Day
Josh says: “Refuse to deal with life. Make it deal with you.”
Why you should check this blog out: Josh has probably the oddest combination of personal attributes and interests of any blogger on this list. That’s also what makes him so interesting. He writes about having Tourette’s syndrome, lifting weights and being a librarian, among other things.
Most recent post: How To Have Tourette’s Part 7: No Excuses
Justin says: “I’ve worked with people from all over the world and can honestly say I love what I do.”
Why you should check this blog out: Justin has been self employed for a year after deciding he didn’t want to do something for a living that he didn’t enjoy anymore. He writes about blogging, consulting, marketing and being a digital nomad.
Most recent post: 6 Reasons Why I Ditched My iPhone
Site tagline: Life Outside the Box
Tynan says: “I write for people who want to make the most of their lives and experience life to the fullest.”
Why you should check this blog out: Tynan lives in a tiny RV and travels around the U.S. and Canada. He supports himself by selling books about dating and living a nomadic life.
Most recent post: The Most Important Thing in The World
Site tagline: Adventures in Lifestyle Design, Entrepreneurship & Location Independence
Cody says: “I’m passionate about helping people break free from the conventional template lifestyle.”
Why you should check this blog out: Cody lives in Thailand and supports himself by consulting with social entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations to create stronger web presence and global awareness for their causes.
Most recent post: 49 Tools for Living the Location Independent Lifestyle
Site tagline: Redesign your life. Travel the world.
Christine says: “One night after I ran out of valerian root and melatonin, I stayed up all night looking through job listings in my field. I realized something—I didn’t want to do any of them.”
Why you should check this blog out: Christine writes from her experience of transitioning from corporate manager to vagabond last year. She is now six months pregnant and still traveling (recently in Belize).
Most recent post: Traveling Pregnant: Hiking and Tubing the Jaguar Reserve
Site tagline: Get Out of Debt… Get Into Life…
Adam says: “If you are looking for someone who will openly blog about both trials and tribulations, successes and failures… you’ve found it. ”
Why you should check this blog out: Adam and his wife Courtney and infant daughter are not only chronicling their journey to get out of debt, but also recently moved from the U.S. to New Zealand. They’ll be moving to Thailand at the beginning of next year.
Most recent post: Hulk Vs. Eeyore: A Simple 6-Step Process to Overcoming Friction in Life
Site tagline: Life Untethered
Matt says: “Travel doesn’t have to be an expensive task nor does taking a Gap year require you to uproot your existence.”
Why you should check this blog out: Matt has been traveling almost nonstop since 2005. He supports himself through is blog and other travel websites.
Most recent post: Back Home
Site tagline: Plug into your identity
Glen says: “My message is here to inspire, but it is also based on being realistic.”
Why you should check this blog out: Glen is on a trajectory that should put him on top of the world by his late 20s. He already supports himself entirely through blogging and other websites and he’s barely 20 years old.
Most recent post: Project Amsterdam: 2 Years in 2 Weeks (+ Video)
Site tagline: Brilliantly Better
Dragos says: “We can never fail. We just learn.”
Why you should check this blog out: Dragos has a knack for writing catchy, easily digestible and sharable posts. It’s no wonder his blog has become so popular recently.
Most recent post: The Tyler Durden Guide of Writing Tyler Durden Enhanced Blog Posts To Attract Traffic
A Few I Missed On the Original Post
Editor’s note: I knew that I would overlook a few great creative and adventurous bloggers when I originally wrote the post. Here are a few bloggers that I wish I had included:
- Joanna Haugen – Kaleidoscopic Wandering
- Jamie Varon – A Life in Translation
- Shannon O’Donnell – A Little Adrift
Follow Everyone on Twitter
Editor’s note: Andrew Badenoch (the first blogger on this list) was kind enough to put together a Twitter list of all the bloggers listed here. Thanks Andrew! (see his original comment below)
http://twitter.com/sailtotrail/adventure44
What do you think? Who are your favorite creative and adventurous bloggers? Please share in the comments!
photo by faz the persian
