They say that when you’re building a blog, you should pick a niche and stick with it. Does the same rule apply for Twitter? When I first created my Twitter account, I was only playing around with it for fun. As a social media professional, I like experimenting with new trends and seeing what the buzz is all about.

Then, I slowly began using Twitter to connect with fellow travelers and to promote my travel blog. As I grow professionally, I want my presence on the Internet to be more than just about traveling. Traveling is only one of my passions. I’m also passionate about social media, social causes and social responsibility.

I’ve been trying to find a way to incorporate it all into one blog, hence my Do Good Thursday column. But when something doesn’t fit, I just doesn’t fit. It makes no sense to force it. So I’ve been working on a new idea. I am looking to launch a new blog that is a more accurate reflection of who I am as a social media professional.

The question is, should I create a new Twitter account as well? Most people know me, @monica530, as a traveler. Would my followers start un-following me if I tweeted about social media, social causes and social responsibility? I don’t want two separate identities for who I am. I strongly feel that people should know me for me, not just a part of me because it’s the only part that pertains to them.

As a traveler, I can see how those three topics are of interest to me. It wasn’t until I started traveling that I became more aware of my impact on the global community and how the other half lives. Do other travelers feels the same? And when it comes to social media, wouldn’t travel bloggers be interested in learning about new ways to optimize their social media presence?

So here is the question I’ve been struggling to figure out:

Should I create a new Twitter account for my new blog on social media, social causes & social responsibility?

If you are one of the first people reading this post then you already have a head start in winning this contest! Voyage.TV is the only travel site that offers HD programming on spas, gourmet, fashion, hotels & exclusive travel deals from Aruba to Las Vegas and more!

They have given me the inside scoop on their upcoming contest, which won’t be officially released until Monday, November 15th, but because YOU are one of my dedicated readers, I want to let you guys in on this awesome secret.

Voyage.TV’s travel deals range from New York to the Turks & Caicos and they want to give ONE lucky travel blogger $300 off any of their travel deals listed on their site.

To enter, follow these five easy steps:

Step 1: Select any video from Voyage.TV.
Step 2: Grab the embed code at the bottom of the video.
Step 3: Post it on your blog & tell us why you selected this video as your next travel destination.
Step 4: “Like” Voyage.TV’s Facebook page and post your link on our wall.
Step 5: Tweet it, Stumble it, Digg it or share it on Facebook.

The blogger with the most unique comments on their blog post will be the winner so be sure to share, share, share!

Addition details:

• The contest begins November 15, 2010 at 12:01 AM EST and ends December 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.
• The winner must book their trip by January 31, 2011 and complete their travel by December 31, 2011
• The winner will be posted on the Voyage.TV Facebook page by January 5, 2011 & must acknowledge acceptance of the prize and confirm such acceptance within two business days.

After reading some of the comments from Kate’s guest post, The Pressure of Keeping a Secret, I realized that there will always be people around the world who are planning for the trip of their life time. In this blog post, I highlight some of the recent and soon-to-be RTW travelers. Please share this list with your readers and give a warm welcome to the brave new travelers below.

Erica & Shaun

Over Yonderlust | @OverYonderlust

What do/did you do?

I’m an assistant photographer and I also pedicab on the side for some extra cash. Shaun is a manager at the video game company. I’m incredibly lucky that Shaun is willing to put forth the extra work time to allow me to pursue my dreams.

When are you leaving for your RTW trip?

December 26, 2010.

How long will you be gone for?

If Shaun is allowed the sabbatical we want from his job, we will be gone a maximum of 6 months. If not, we’re going to stay abroad as long as we possibly can. Who knows? Maybe we will never come back!

Why are you taking a RTW trip?

Our focus is on Central and South America. I have always been fascinated with the culture of these nations and seeing where my roots are from. Shaun and I are both going to be using this trip as a way to enhance our Spanish speaking skills as well.

What is your current RTW itinerary?

We’re buying our one way ticket to Mazatlan, Mexico soon. A friend of ours has a house there and we figured, “How wonderful would it be to bring in the New Year abroad as a kick starter for our trip?” We’re going to mainly use buses as a mode of transportation throughout our trip. From Mexico we plan on spending a few weeks in Guatemala working on our Spanish skills. From Guatemala we are getting SCUBA certified in Honduras, then exploring Nicaragua. We are hoping to rent a place for a month in Costa Rica. We want to charter a sailboat from Panama to Colombia and then work our way slowly down to Argentina. If we can somehow finagle a work/holiday visa in Australia, we’ll probably head there after this adventure. I’m trying to leave our itinerary generally open.

What have you done to prepare for your trip?

I’ve done some research on the destinations that are on our bucket list. Other than trying to get our vaccinations done, I’m trying to do as much as possible by the seat of our pants. I’m an extreme organizer while Shaun is much more spontaneous. He is trying to get me to come over to the dark side.

What do/did you do?

I work in communications and event planning.  AKA:  Writing newsletters, building webpages and online learning courses, and traveling around the US working on training events.  My husband is a civil technician aka 3D laser scanning tech for civil engineering

When are you leaving for your RTW trip?

November 26th!!!  Ahhhhh…only 50 days left…but who’s counting??  =]

How long will you be gone for?

111 days.  Just under 4 months.

Why are you taking a RTW trip?

It has always been a dream.  Even on a school project from 3rd grade I was asked “what do you want to do when you grow up?”.  I responded “Travel” when the other kids more concrete goals like being a teacher, fireman, etc.  The thing that really pushed us was that we were considering buying a house.  We hunted around, we saved, we were in full prep mode to lock ourselves down.  And one night we both came clean and said “This isn’t what we want.  We don’t want a house.  We don’t want to plant roots anywhere”.  And as simple as that, it was decided.  We weren’t ready to tie ourselves down because we still had so much to see and do!  So we focused on taking this trip.  In the end we hope to grow from it, be humbled by it, and really just become a better people by being exposed to so many different cultures and experiences.

We will have 36 countries in Europe.  We fly in and out of Amsterdam and plan to explore France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland…ohhhh and Croatia if we can squeeze it in.  We bought a Eurorail pass so that’s how we plan to get around. The day after New Years we fly to Cairo for a week of sightseeing.  And after that, we fly to Bangkok.  We’ll have just over 2 months in SE Asia.  The tentative plan is Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.  After that, we are topping off the trip with a week in Germany.  We fly into Frankfurt and hope to have time to see Berlin and Munich.

First and foremost, we paid off all of our debt. Then it was…research, research and more research! We also canceled our lease and moved into a friends basement to cut down on costs.  All of our stuff is in storage and we are living with only our bed and clothes for the last few months before we leave.  We canceled gym memberships & cable TV and we never ever go out (which is really difficult for the social butterflies that we are).  Facebook has become my new “Happy Hour”.

We’ve joined a local travel group that meets monthly in the Twin Cities and talks travel.  I’ve volunteered at Global Volunteers and Evolution through Vacation to network with other travelers.  We’ve joined CouchSurfing and have only one connection…but still it was a great one! And of course the other necessary things like booking health insurance, getting immunizations, etc.

The Professional Hobo and First Time Travel

More about Dana

This our 10 year anniversary trip.  It beats any diamonds I’ve seen. At first I was fearless about the trip.  It’s what I always have dreamed of, so if I died doing it…it was just meant to be.  But now as we get closer the fears become bigger and bigger.  My fears are not about getting robbed or lost or anything like that.  Mostly I’m afraid of getting out there and suddenly learning that I don’t like traveling months on end (a week or 2 is a different story), or sleeping in hostels, or not having a routine, etc.  I’d like to think I’m a free spirit but when it comes down to, I can’t help but wonder…am I really?  It’s funny to me though, 8 months ago in the initial planning stages, I swore I would be fearless.  Who knew?

Mike

Travels of Mike | @mkowalski99

What do/did you do?

I work at AT&T in a retail store. My official title is retail sales consultant. I basically sell people phones and fix problems.

I leave Nov 6th.

How long will you be gone for?

Undetermined but probably around 10 months. I hope to get my job back and I have to reapply within a year so I will probably return around September or October of next year. Who knows though. . . . I may not want to return!

To break out of my sheltered life and see the world. When I got divorced, I realized I could do whatever wanted with my life. I am a very introverted person so hope to take this time to change.

Flying to New Zealand for 4 weeks then heading to Australia. Will spend almost 6 weeks in Australia and fly to Bangkok. Will spend about 4 months in that area until flying into Israel in May. Will be meeting my Mom in Israel so that’s a set date. After that, I will just be winging it. Would like to make it to Spain in July for the running of the bulls.

Save, save, save and save some more. Accrued sky miles via various promotions to save on flights. Got a few vaccinations with health insurance while I can. Tried out several backpacks and practiced packing. Did I mention save?

Johnny Vagabond, Twenty-Something Travel, Nomadic Matt, Travels of Adam, Frugal Travel Guy, Chris Guillebeau and Bootsnall.

Kristian

Itchy Feet Chronicles | @itchyfeet_kg

What do you do?

I currently work in the international development field. Its a great job as I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot to Africa and Asia with it, and at the same time we are doing a bit of good for the world (we work on projects to reduce maternal mortality). Even so, after 3 years its time for a change of scenery and I’m ready to do my own independent travel for a while (after scrupulously saving for pretty much the whole 3 years!).

When are you leaving for your RTW trip?

Hopefully in the first week of May 2011.

How long will you be gone for?

I’ve planned/budgeted for two years; around 14 months of travelling and 10 months on a working holiday visa in Australia.

Why are you taking a RTW trip?

Travel has always been my passion, but I’ve never been able to do a long-term trip even though its been a long-held ambition of mine (I had previously done a year in Canada, but funds were very low so I spent most of the time working rather than roaming around). Now I am 25, I’ve got some good savings stashed away, I don’t have any mortgage or relationship commitments, and I’ve achieved everything I can in my current job – it feels like the perfect time to go to be honest.

What is your current RTW itinerary?

I am planning to do things a bit differently to the norm; instead of flying to Australia from the UK, I am intending to do the whole trip overland. I will spend the first 3 months railing around Europe, and then I will head to Russia and do the Trans-Mongolian over to Beijing. After that, I will spend around 3-4 months seeing China and SE Asia before catching a cargo ship from Singapore to Perth. I will spend 2012 in Australia working, before flying over to Fiji then South America for 6 months. The overland idea was one that’s been in my head for years, and I just thought “Why not?”.

What have you done to prepare for your trip?

So far its just been research – I’ve done lots of reading! I’ve also put a deposit on the cargo voyage as that’s the key to completing the journey. I’m gradually buying equipment as I see good deals, then in New Year the preparations will start in earnest! (visas, jabs, bookings, etc.)

Nomadic Matt,Twenty-Something Travel and As We Travel

Rob

Lost Vagabonder | @lostvagabonder

What do/did you do?

I graduated from college in 2008 and, after that, played online poker professionally for a while. I got fairly disillusioned with that and started thinking about what I want to do with my life that lead me to eventually plan this trip.

When are you leaving for your RTW trip?

I’m leaving on Tuesday the 19th of October.  I can’t believe it’s next week already.

How long will you be gone for?

Truthfully, I don’t know. I don’t have a flight booked to return home so it will really depend on my monetary situation. I would like to go for a year if it’s possible but I will find on the road how possible that is.

Why are you taking a RTW trip?

There are a lot of disparate reasons for it. I think my primary reason is I feel I find myself at a crossroads. I have a degree in something I, now, don’t really care about. I have no idea what job or industry I want to work in and I all I can think off is what next. Added to that, I look back at my life and feel I really haven’t done enough with it and primarily have a lot of regrets about what I haven’t done. I think a trip of this nature can help me discover what I really want to do and put myself in a situation where my natural inclination to not try out new things is diminished. In my research I have yet to read about anyone undertaken a trip of this nature and regretting it. It just feels like everything has converged to make this the exact right moment in my life to do this and I may never get a better chance.

What is your current RTW itinerary?

It’s brief! I fly into Bangkok on October 20th; I have a hostel booked for first 2 days and that’s all I formally have planned. I, likely, will end up following the SE backpacking trail in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and down to Philipines and Malaysia. I also really want to visit New Zealand and can see myself ending my trip there.

What have you done to prepare for your trip?

Not enough I imagine! I have never taken a trip of this nature so really going blind. I did a lot of research online on what to buy and bring. I have really signed up to the light packing philosophy so tried as best I can to limit what I bring, my aim is to bring under 10 kilos and not have to check in any bags. In terms of where to go, I have actually not put much time into that; I glanced through the lonely planet a friend gave me but my attitude is I don’t really trust myself to be able to plan a big itinerary at home so why bother. I think it will be much easier on the road to know where I want to go, what I want to do and for how long.
This trip is as much about discovering myself as it discovering the world.

What are some of your favorite travel blogs?

I really got inspired after reading Travel Independent. One Bag is what convinced to pack light and practically everything I bought comes as a recommendation from there. Rolf Potts blog and his book vagabonding was a big source of inspiration about the philosophy of my trip. But, truthfully, I haven’t followed many travel blogs, I primarily used twitter as it has proved to be an invaluable resource. By subscribing to the tags #RTWsoon and #RTWnow I can access ton of blog updates in 1 central resource. I have been suspicious of twitters usefulness up until now but it really came into its own in planning for this trip.

Jaime

Breakaway Backpacker | @BAbackpacker

What do you do?

I am a customer service representative for a bank. I have been doing this for over 5 years.

When are you leaving for your RTW trip?

Since it is still too soon to buy a plane ticket I don’t have an exact date. If everything goes as planned I should be leaving at the end of July or beginning of August 2011.

How long will you be gone for?

I will be gone for a year or two, hell maybe longer. It really depends on however long my travel funds last because I don’t have a return date. I do know though that while I’m on my RTW trip I would like to work in Egypt & India for a few months each. If I could find a decent job that could pay for a simple standard of living in those countries I will stay for a longer period of time. Once I am done working and experiencing the rich cultures I would go on about my RTW trip.

Why are you taking a RTW trip?

I am taking a RTW trip because I have always had a passion to travel I just never knew it was affordable until recently. So I am doing what needs to be done to make it happen. I want to explore the world and all the cultures that make it unique.

What is your current RTW itinerary?

I love that you say “CURRENT” because it really can change at any point in the planning stages (well even on the road). It’s crazy because you are planning to leave and you can pick to start anywhere in the world and go anywhere in the world so it makes it hard to stick to the original plans.

Okay back to the question. My current RTW itinerary is to start in Europe do a city blitz of the major cities I want to visit for two months then make my way to Turkey and begin the Middle East portion of my trip. I will go from Turkey through Syria, Jordan, Israel and finally make my way to Egypt. From Egypt I plan on flying to India. After India I will begin the South East Asia portion of my trip. While in SEA I want to visit Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia & the Philippines. After all that is done I want to make my way back home by visiting friends. So I’ll be stopping by in Hawaii, California, Utah then finally back home to Houston, TX.

Wow, now that I have it written out like this it sounds like a lot but in reality since I don’t have a return date, I think I will be fine & if not I know it will all work out in the end.

What have you done to prepare for your trip?

I have done a lot already to prepare for my trip but I know I still have a lot more to do. I have been saving like crazy. I have started to get rid of a lot of things I will no longer need because I don’t want to leave a room full of stuff at my sister’s house. I have been doing research on the places I want to visit. I have also started buying some of the things I am going to need for my trip so that way I buy it little by little now and it wont effect my savings funds. As my take off date gets closer I know I will have a lot more to do but for now Ill do what I can.

What are some of your favorite travel blogs?

Oh no this is a tricky question and I’m not gonna go there. I read so many and enjoy them all. They are all special and cover different niches of travel.

Pam

SpunkyGirl Monologues | @spunkygirllogue

When are you leaving for your RTW trip?

I leave September 10, 2010. Yeah!

How long will you be gone for?

I generally travel 2 weeks at a time or less, but this time I’m hoping to be on the road for 6 months or more. It all depends on how my money holds out.

Why are you taking a RTW trip?

I’ve wanted to do long term travel for many years, but various aspects of my life always interrupted my plans. However, after some personal events I decided to finally take the plunge. I love exploring and meeting new people. There is nothing more fascinating to me than experiencing a new culture. I travel to learn about and understand the world around me.

What is your current RTW itinerary?

Honestly, I don’t really have one. I’ll be traveling through the USA for 12 days, then flying to Bangkok. After that it’s pretty much an open book. I hope to travel into China, Mongolia, India, Tibet, Cambodia and Vietnam while I’m there. We’ll see how my money holds out.

What have you done to prepare for your trip?

I’ve spent less prep time for this trip than any other trip I’ve taken. I’ve done the usually document scans and mass emails to my family about my trip details. I had a lot of equipment already, so I was more focused on downsizing and compacting my life into my backpack.

What are some of your favorite travel blogs?

I really enjoy Unbrave Girl, as she’s extremely witty and sarcastic. I love anyone who enjoys black humor. I also enjoy Nerds Eye View, Traveling Philosopher and Journey Woman.

Guest post by @shawnosaurus

There are many places around the world that take some sport or another very seriously. Regardless of your particular fervor for the home team or even the sport, attending a sporting event can be a great way to explore a city and a culture. Also, pretty much any sport is fun to watch live considering they almost all seem to involve beer, peanuts and shouting like a maniac.

For example, I was on my way to Edmonton on a business trip not long ago, and I was considering what to do with my spare time while there. It isn’t a city with big ticket tourist attractions so it would’ve been easy to write it off and spend the night in the hotel watching Law & Order. However, instead of succumbing to the siren song of serialized TV murder, I decided to grab some tickets to a hockey game. The Edmonton Oilers are an NHL team with loads of fervent fans and some pretty impressive history. Being in the arena, alongside thousands of local fans really felt like I was experiencing the city. Plus, the following morning I skipped the typical taxi conversation about where I’m from, and instead got to moan about last night’s shoddy goaltending.

Pretty much every country you visit is going to have some sport that the locals are passionate about. It’s human nature or whatever. Just think about it, hockey in Canada, baseball in the USA, soccer in just about every country in the world. If you want to see passion, go to a cricket match in Pakistan. Or an Aussie rules football match in Australia! Table tennis in China! You see where I’m going with this, don’t you?

Those sports a bit too mainstream for you? Many countries have popular national sports that you’ve likely never heard of. Ever watched a game of Pesäpallo? Well then head to Finland. Or perhaps you want to try your hand at Paleta Frontón, a popular handball sport in Peru. One of the sports I quite want to see live is the Bangladeshi sport, Kabaddi. It’s like a lunatic version of Red Rover that sounds completely fun. How could you not enjoy a sport where a player holds their breath and chants, “Kabaddi” repeatedly while trying to wrestle the opposing team?

The moral of the story here is that local sporting events give you a really unique and candid view into the places you visit. It’s your home team tourism. Spend some time cheering your little heart out for your favourite Kabaddi team, or whatever sport you end up attending, and you’ll really be living the local life.

Shawn Stafford

Shawn Stafford is a nomadic freelance writer whose other articles can be found on his alarmingly mediocre website, http://www.rerunaround.com.

October 11 – Home Team Tourism (Guest post by Shawn Stafford at Rerunaround)
October 13  – Seven Soon-To-Be RTW Travelers To Follow
October 15 – Photo Friday: White House Flashback

In case you missed it, here are the latest posts from A Pair of Panties & Boxers

October 4 – Fifty Islands You Will Never Set Foot On
October 6  – The Pressure of Keeping a Secret (Guest post by Kate McCulley)
October 8 – Photo Friday: Ottoman Opulence

Ready for next week’s posts on A Pair of Panties & Boxers? Here’s the rundown.

October 4 – Fifty Islands You Will Never Set Foot On
October 6  – The Pressure of Keeping a Secret (Guest post by Kate McCulley)
October 8 – Photo Friday: Ottoman Opulence