GET AN EARFULL

 My travel memoir Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler's Tales receives glowing reviews from readers. In the year of the virus armchair travel is a fun way to get around the planet without any risk. Many of us are tired from reading so much online. So,I decided it was time to get my book into audio format. 

LeAnn Pashina did a sterling job narrating my stories. She keeps the energy level up without becoming shrill. I wanted to read the stories myself, but professional narration calls for a skill set I don't possess.

Here is what award winning travel writer James Dorsey had to say about Lost Angel Walkabout.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent example of fine travel writing. James Michael Dorsey

Lost Angel Walkabout by Linda Ballou takes the reader out of their armchair and into the vast world as few travel writers can. Her eye for detail combined with intimate knowledge of her surroundings sets Ms. Ballou heads above most of the travel writing pack. In this age when everyone with a back pack proclaims him or herself a travel writer it takes a book like this one to re-define the genre. The stories are personal and inviting, giving the reader not only a feeling of participation but leaving them with a memory of where they have just visited. This is just plain great travel writing.

Escape with me to Alaska, Costa Rica, Hawaii'i, New Zealand and parts of the Wild West. The audio book is available on Audible and Amazon

Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost AngelWalkabout.  In Lost Angel in Paradise she shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. In her latest effort Get Great Trips for Free she provides a roadmap for travel writing success.  Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com

 

Here We Go Again- Quarantine Time

 On my visit to Australia in early 2020 I was treated to an unexpected visit to the Quarantine Station in Sydney Harbor created to deal with the Spanish Influenza and more. This was a disturbing experience that made me wonder why I was there. When I returned to the US. I found myself in the middle of a new pandemic.My article Taking a Cue from the Q-Station appeared in Travel World Magazine

Taking a Cue from the Q-Station    

The September issue of Travel World Magazine is dedicated to inspirational stories during the pandemic.

I have not been traveling during the pandemic. But, others who have ventured out to Costa Rica, the Rocky Mountains, Flagstaff and many more destinations share there expereinces in this issue of Travel World dedicated to surving the pandemic. I was a little jealous, but feel I have done the right thing for myself. 

We all have to decide for ourselves what is the best way to cope with this deadly virus.

I have been enjoying hiking in my own back yard the Santa Monica Mountains and swimming in the Pacific Ocean. 

Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has rafted, kayaked and horseback ridden through pristine wilderness areas around the globe. The most memorable of these journeys are chronicled in her book Lost Angel Walkabout.  In Lost Angel in Paradise she shares 32-of her favorite daytrips along the coast of California. In this issue we learn about her latest effort Get Great Trips for Free.  Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com

Nature Can Be Our Salvation

 

In the words of Edward Abbey…I am not an atheist, I am an Earthiest!

Earthiests are people who literally need to plug into the planet to recharge. Whether sitting on a rock warmed by the sun, or face planted down on the sand at the beach, standing on a mountain top arms spread with palms up to gather energy, or resting against a tree, I am gathering energy from the earth.

 Some people think nothing is happening when they are sitting still because their minds are too busy to feel anything. But, they are receiving nature’s gift just the same.  An earthiest consciously makes themselves more receptive to the bounty by quieting their minds and will not miss an opportunity to plug into the universal gas pump.        

None of this is new. The Navajo strive to achieve a harmony and balance within themselves and their society in nature to a state they call Hozho. Ancient Hawaiians lifted their fingertips to the sky in hula in an attempt to pull mana or spiritual energy into their being. They received power from Moana the grand and vibrant sea and believe they are stewards of the land. The act of lying on the forest floor in order to absorb the energy of the earth and the trees called “Forest Bathing” is now popular in Japan. Moderns are practicing “Earthing” that is walking barefoot to re-balance with natural forces to counter act eltro-magnetic fields we are all exposed to.

I find sustenance and solace in nature. My daily walks are a meditation that allows my mind to relax and wander freely. I don’t wear earbuds I leave distraction from my thoughts behind. I want to hear the sounds of the birds twittering and the wind whispering through the trees. I want to let thoughts bubble up from the well of my subconscious. I want to digest all the input I receive each day. My overstimulated molecules settle into place and I find answers to my questions in my writing and in life this way.

Yes, I believe nature can be our salvation. It is for me.

Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou’s articles have appeared in Real Travel Adventures, Travel World, Go World and numerous other national magazines. She is the adventure travel expert on the National Association of Baby Boomer Women.  Her new-adult novel The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon was a finalist at the Equus Film Fest. She continues to enjoy great trips around the globe! Learn more about her travels at www.LostAngelAdventures.com and her novels at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com