I think the biggest part for me is the freedom from judgment, criticism or guilt when traveling alone. I agree with Greg that most of us rarely get that opportunity to have complete freedom of choice.

I was speaking to the owner of an independent dvd rental place about "A Map for Saturday" a week ago....guess I must have sounded quite enthused by it, because he ordered a copy and called me today to say it was in. 

Loved it...made me cry in parts and also gave me the huge urge to just dump everything and take off again. *sigh*

With the economy in the sh**ter these days, it might not be a bad thing to do.

Well, I was born there...moved away and returned as a young adult to live there for most of my adult life. It's a wonderful place though I am just a wee bit biased  . I'm actually attempting to relocate there at the moment.

If you're there anytime the first couple weeks of July, the jazz fest should be on. There are literally hundreds of free outdoor concerts all staged downtown. Some big names at some of these free concerts, so do check it out if you're there when it's on.

Aside from that, it really depends on what you want to do really...I guess I lived there for so long, I never really saw the city as a tourist. Ask away if you have any questions though and I'll be happy to answer. 

Happened upon this article today and thought you might want to read it...

http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-travel-by-cargo-ship/

And apparently, there's a travel agency in Montreal that specializes in cargo ship trips...

http://www.freighter-travel.com/

Some of the prices are outrageous, but then again, it's for trips lasting months. One of the itineraries is a basic Montreal to Northern Europe route. Might be worth checking out.

That's great news!

I'm likely to be heading to SE Asia on my next trip...look forward to surfing your new site. 

Ditto for Ireland....wonderful people, amazing scenery. I was there for almost 4 weeks a few years back and loved it. It was the time of the World Cup (soccer/football) and we made a point of stopping at a pub  everyday at game time in whatever village we were passing through. Needless to say, the pubs in even the smallest village were packed to watch the games and we had a blast. Nothing like getting to know a country through it's love of a sport! 

That being said, there's tons to see and do in every part of the country, the real challenge is narrowing it down if you're limited for time and/or funds.

Can't say much about hotels as we stayed with my companion's parents in Dublin. Who, very conveniently, live a 5 minute walk from Trinity College. We stayed at cheap B&B's while traveling through the rest of the country....it was 2002, post 9-11 so tourism was sluggish, thus no need to book anything in advance and prices were reduced...at the time we paid 20-25 euro per person which always included a yummy, though cholesterol laden, full Irish breakfast.

Tip: if you plan on visiting several entry-fee charging "heritage sites" it's worth paying for a "heritage card"...my travel companion and I did and saved a bundle as we drove practically the entire width and breadth of the country stopping almost everywhere along the way. You can easily buy this card at the first official entry-fee charging site you visit.

Link to their site...

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/

The tourism office in downtown Dublin has loads of B&B and hostel guides for each county. It's worthwhile dropping by and picking up some info as anything they have will be much more recent than any guidebook such as lonely planet, etc.  Dublin is a real pedestrian city, and there is a lot to see just in the city center by just walking around with a good guidebook.

Ireland is a wonderfully scenic country bar none and the only way to experience it is to get out and travel the roads be it by bus or car.

My 5 Euros worth. 

I have a few books which have inspired and stoked my wanderlust....though, I think two of the best have got to be books by William Dalrymple.

In Xanadu: a Quest is about his trip across Central Asia when he was in his early twenties. It went on to be a bestseller and won several prizes. Overlanding across Asia is in my top 5 things to do before I die and this book's coming with me when I do! 

From the Holy Mountain takes place in the Middle East and recounts travels from Turkey to Egypt. This book actually inspired my trip to Syria in 2001.

I've read most of his books, save the latest one, The Last Mughal, and would recommend any and all...

Book list on his web site...

http://www.williamdalrymple.uk.com/Pages/Books.html

Just watched it and loved it!....though I must admit I'm a fan of Wes Anderson.

This movie is depicts the old adage that it's "all about the journey" no matter the outcome or final destination.

Ditto on the excellent soundtrack...I just might have to go searching for some of those tunes.

The featurette in the extras is interesting as well...the filming itself was a journey as they shot on their very own moving train.

I was at the video store the other day and nearly picked that one up, but didn't thinking it was just another lame Hollywood comedy....thanks for the review...I think I know what I may be watching this weekend. 

Best results I've had with different soaps for handwashing clothes is using a bar of glycerin soap...rinses out easily and leaves no residue on the clothes.

The plastic bag thing sounds interesting....though I have visions of the bag bursting and being covered in wet soapy clothes. 

For drying, I pack  2-3 lightweight plastic hangers....they fit well down the back of my pack (without taking too much room or being awkward). I find the hangers more practical than a line because you can hang stuff around the room without things getting in the way, like off a doorknob, shower head, open window, etc.

Blah! Here's my moan for the day....I think I've come down with a bad case post-trip vagabond fever which is turning into pre-sometime-in-the-future-trip syndrome.

For the past 4 months, every time I walk into a store or market, I automatically gravitate towards any item which could remotely serve a practical purpose while backpacking. Example: go to the store for groceries, end up in the housewares section checking out micro fiber towels and wondering how quickly they would dry during monsoon season in SE Asia, forgetting completely that I should really be picking up fruit and vegetables for my next meal! Nothing like reminding myself constantly that my next trip is likely several months away.

Rant over, thank you for listening. 

Anyone else here have vagabond fever related compulsive habits?

Yep, street food is the way to go...just make sure you case out the stalls first, the good (i.e. clean) ones will have loads of locals lining up. Lots of business means the food doesn't lie about all day and should be relatively fresh. When in doubt, just make sure whatever it is you get is cooked from scratch and not just reheated.

Normally, I only eat twice a day when traveling...not purposefully, it just ends up like that, though I'm sure it saves money. I tend to load up on nuts, and other snacks at a local market or shop which is cheap and helps cut down on meal costs in the long run.

Poop 

...."still on the radar" is good though, gotta keep the wanderlust stoked!

Hey Chief Vagabonder!... assuming you're on the road at this point....hope you're having a fabulous time in SE Asia! 

Just watched the trailer to "A Map for Saturday" and wow, I need to see the rest of this documentary!...I did shed some tears....especially at the end when they showed the older gentleman extolling the virtues of backpacking at any age!

I second the "travel alone" tip...when traveling with a companion or in a group, your focus gets pulled inwards and most of your experiences (positive and negative) tends to be coloured by other peoples' reactions or opinions. Personally, I tend to remember more from my solo trips.

As Greg and Narfette mention, you're never alone on the road. The trouble on the backpacker's circuit is usually trying find a bit of privacy!