by Matthew Allison | Nov 9, 2003 | Africa
November 2003: Before the trip Guinea is a country I knew for little about. I had never met anyone from there, nor had I met a traveler who had been there before. What I did discover about it during my research is that Guinea has one of the largest bauxite reserves in...
by Matthew Allison | Nov 9, 2002 | Africa
Journey to Kenya November 2002: As part of a thrilling three-week adventure marking my first-ever visit to sub-Saharan Africa, I made my way to Kenya after an incredible time exploring Uganda. Boarding a local bus from bustling Kampala, I settled in for an...
by Matthew Allison | Mar 23, 2002 | Africa
March 2002 — First Journey into Ancient Egypt I have always been fascinated by ancient Egyptian history. Few places ignite the imagination like Egypt—a land of vast desert, towering pyramids, mummies, undiscovered tombs, and legendary curses. There is too much romance...
by Matthew Allison | Mar 20, 2002 | Mexico, North America
March 2002: Learning to Fly in the Shadow of 9/11 Facing Fear, Finding Freedom, and Fueling a Lifetime of Travel In what now feels like a different lifetime, back in March 2002, I made the decision to get my pilot’s license—not just for fun, but as a way to confront a...
by Matthew Allison | Jul 22, 2000 | Default
I am truly fascinated by ancient Egyptian histoy. Few places stir an imigantion more than Egypt with its huge pyramids, mummies, buried tombs and legendary curses. There is just too much romanticism and mystery in one country for me to ever be satisfied with one visit...
by Matthew Allison | Jul 5, 2000 | Central America
July 2000: Guatemala in my opinion is one of the most interesting countries in Central America. It has rainforests, indigenous cultures that still practice their traditions, colonial architecture, pyramids and some of the best and most accessible volcanoes anywhere in...
by Matthew Allison | May 3, 2000 | Asia
A Backpacking Journey to Cambodia May 2000: For my second trip to Asia, following my first adventure in China, I booked a standby ticket through Mesaba Airlines, where I was working as a baggage handler in 2000. With a cheap ticket to Bangkok in hand, I set off with a...
by Matthew Allison | Dec 4, 1999 | Asia
December 1999-March 2000: For four months, I taught English to South Korean students ranging in age from preschool to high school at an English immersion school in Seoul. My school was located in suburban Illsan, and I lived in a small room rented from a Korean family...
by Matthew Allison | Aug 26, 1999 | South America & Antarctica
My First Expedition-Pico Da Neblinas Summer 1999: My goal was to venture as deep into the unknown as I possibly could. I believed that such an expedition might bring me the clarity I needed in choosing a future career path—something I badly needed after just...
by Matthew Allison | Aug 26, 1998 | Asia
August 1998: As part of a multi-month-long back packing trip in India, I traveled overland via bus into Western Nepal seeking adventure, the unknown and tigers. During this time Western Nepal was truly an undeveloped, remote outpost in the world and was just starting...
