Reflection 20 results Travel With Bender Rebranding & New Design Launch May 2022 marked 10 years since the foundation of this blog, and it also happened to be a major inflection point in the long-awaited recovery of the travel industry. Now was the time to breathe fresh, new life into Travel With Bender. America's National Monuments Need Your Help So much of the United States is blessed with an abundance of beautiful national monuments, parks, and forests. These really belong to all people, and should be shared in a sustainable way. Find out why America's National Monuments are under threat and wha… Unshakable Proof That Strangers Make Travel Better As we have travelled around the world over the last 4 years we’ve realized that people are kinder than we often give them credit for. Our reliance on complete strangers and people we haven’t met (in person) has blossomed since our nomadic travels started … 31 Weird Things About the US How can another English-speaking country be so different? Like Santa, I’ve been keeping a list of naughty, nice and weird things that may freak out fellow Australians. Hopefully this cultural education can prevent other Aussies from looking like fools or … Top 10 FAQs for Travel With Bender There are several questions I get asked on a daily basis. So here, just for you, is a list of our top 10 questions and the answers. 5 Reasons Why I Hate Full Body Massage My husband adores massages and there are not many days that go by in Bali where he is not off searching for his next $5 full body massage. I rarely go. Give me a pedicure or some foot reflexology, but I tend to avoid the full body massage. Is it a matter … 9 Challenges Of Family Travel What’s it really like travelling the world as a family? And in particular, what are the biggest challenges? Find out how we face and overcome those - and more importantly, how it turns out they don’t really matter anyway. 102 Things I Did For the First Time… Because Of Nomadic Travel Today marks 3 years from the time we left Perth, Australia to embark on our crazy nomadic journey around the world. Little did I know that day what would unfold over the following 1095 days. Too much to tell in 1 story (well, that’s what this blog is for … Explore The Elements - Photography As part of a competition by Thomas Cook, I've compiled my favourite photos that encapsulate the 4 elements: earth, air, fire, water. Which one is your favourite? 2014 In Review: How Many Countries Did We Travel To? 2014 turned out a lot different than our initial plan, but it was an exciting year visiting places we never imagined we’d see. We travelled over 70,000kms and 26 countries in just 12 months. Phew! Let’s take a look at some of the highlights. How Does A Nomadic Traveller Celebrate A Birthday? Recently on our Facebook page I was asked: How does a travel blogger like you celebrate a birthday? What a great question! And not only for birthdays, but anniversaries and milestones? I mean when you travel the world every day what do these things look l… Mum, You Deserve A Break When was the last time you went on holiday? The last time you walked a beach bare foot, lay in the sun and let the waves heal your soul? When was the last time you didn’t ask your kids to hurry up or had a relaxing lunch with your husband? The 3 Strangest Things About Europe You expect quirks when you go to Asia. As an Australian you are even ready for the strange nuances of the Americans what with tipping and accents and driving on the wrong side of the road. But I wasn’t ready for these things in Europe. These 3 strange… Where Are We Headed In 2014? Plus How I Saved Over $2000 On Flights When we left Perth, Australia in May 2012 little did we know how long we would be gone for. After what has felt like a real vacation we are finally solidifying our plans for 2014. We leave Perth on 15th April 2014 returning to the unknown. Sensibly, we ha… How The Heck Did I Kickstart My Travel Dream? This is a question I get asked a lot. As we frantically prepare to set off on the next gripping leg of our journey I realise that it isn’t so easy for most people to get up and leave. My Soul Mate Left Me... 5 Awesome Perks For A Temporarily Single Dad I’ve been in Israel for a few weeks looking after family here while Erin, Mia and Caius have remained in Australia. It’s been tough since I miss them terribly, but I’ve also discovered 5 perks of solo travel. My Soul Mate Left Me... 5 Awesome Perks For A Temporarily Single Mum Recently I wrote an article about my 5 Survival Tips since Josh's absence. And while it sometimes feels like single mums are in survival mode there has certainly been some perks I have discovered. My Soul Mate Left Me... 5 Survival Tips For A Temporarily Single Mum My soul mate has left me (who know's for how long). And I want to applaud the single mums. So how am I surviving my dramatic thrust into single mum-hood, my parenting challenge? How Many Countries Did We Travel In The Last 574 Days? So we are back in Australia. Where it all started. And perhaps you are curious where we went in the last 574 days or 1 year, 6 months and 25 days. Here is a list of countries we visited. The Threat of Heading "Home" After 574 Days Of Travel As of December 5th it will have been 19 months since we left Australia and started travelling the world, 574 days, 1 year 6 months and 25 days. And now we are heading back. Am I excited? Absolutely. Am I terrified? Definitely.