BootsnAll Travel Community

It might be that it was so long ago you stumbled upon our little corner of the Internet that you don't even recall how you got here... But if you remember, I'm curious - how did you initially find us?

I found BootsnAll via National Geographic Traveler magazine, when they printed a tiny blurb about a few websites dedicated to independent travel... When I read that one of the sites on the list was headquartered in Portland, where I live, I immediately went to the computer to check it out. The rest, as they say, is history.

What about you? What brought you here?

I was researching about moving to australia, and was looking for blogs about students who were studying in australia. I found the bootsnall blog pages, and then from there came to the homepage.

I found it because skobb was stalking me....um I mean there was an article written about Boots in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

I found it while exploring Rolf Pott's Vagabonding website, after reading the book ofcourse.

Googling "cheap travel".

I was researching on the web about taking a year off work to do independent travel, and was really on the fence about the decision. A few weeks reading BNA sold me on the idea, and I took the year off.

Since then BNA's become a rather large part of my life. I love this place, and the people - I've met more than my fair share and they are all fantastic. I sometimes wonder where'd I'd be today or what I'd be doing if I'd never found BNA. I'm sure it wouldn't be as wonderful.

Googling trip preperations.

When we were planning a trip around Europe, my girlfriend at the time found BnA and the boards, probably by searching for something travel related, and told me about it. I posted sporadically for a couple years, but, ironically, it was after we broke up that my activity level here jumped, since I was finally free to travel as much as I really wanted to.

Things sure have grown around here in the past 4 years...

I was travelling through the head waters of the Amazon and met Nikos (former Photog Moderator) in Iquitos, Peru. In discussing various scams to make money while travelling, I mentioned the possibility and difficulty of publishing travel articles. I'd been on BnA before looking at tickets and such, but he insisted I check it out again. He also muttered something about them being based in Oregon, so I came back to the States, dove back into school and have naturally not written a damn thing for the BootsCrew. I just hopped on the boards, joined the peanut gallery and the rest, as they say, is history. A hooch soaked history, but a history nonetheless.

The travel articles, specifically one about Chiapas.

i was on their mail list for emails since The Beginning (no record of this exists, unfortunately) but again in 2004 i met this dude who came to visit my friend Joy after they met on the t in boston. he was a brit, doing an RTW and for some reason along with all of my friends going ga-ga over this exotic stranger, i recalled this part of myself who had once done something like that and i wanted to start re-focusing my time/money/efforts toward more serious travel

I read about BnA in some travel magazine (can't remember which) right before my trip to Cambodia this year and decided to check it out.

quote:

Originally posted by JessieS:
I found BootsnAll via National Geographic Traveler magazine, when they printed a tiny blurb about a few websites dedicated to independent travel... When I read that one of the sites on the list was headquartered in Portland, where I live, I immediately went to the computer to check it out. The rest, as they say, is history.

You stole mine Jessie! I was at the gym, reading a National Geographic Traveler (no doubt the same one you read) and it mentioned BNA. Also mentioned they were from Portland so I checked it out that night. It was around the time that I was getting super serious with the planning for our big, upcoming trip - so good timing!

Googling for info about Fortaleza Brasil, I found Phillip Blasdell's travelog, which led me here.

quote:

Originally posted by Capt Steve:
I sometimes wonder where'd I'd be today or what I'd be doing if I'd never found BNA. I'm sure it wouldn't be as wonderful.

When I first read this, I thought it said, "I'm sure I wouldn't be as wonderful!

I was planning a trip to Argentina and needed some tips (in particular, at that point I was looking for language schools), and came across this site. After hanging out a bit I saw what a great community it was, and I had also been looking for that!

I have since had the opportunity to meet lots of Booties, and that has lended to some great friendships and experiences. I can't wait to meet more!!

quote:

Originally posted by Llalewyn:
I found it because skobb was stalking me....um I mean there was an article written about Boots in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

You should really get a taller fence, but this one has lost all challenge.

I believe I was looking up information on Croatia (and I still haven't been there) and came across some articles written here. After I noticed BnA was also based in Oregon - Corvallis at the time - then I considered it a sign (I was in Portland.)

Even after going out for drinks with Sean I came back to the site. That's saying something.

The hostel booking section. I actually booked hostels through boots, and recommended it to others, for quite awhile (years) before I discovered the forums though!

It was a fantastic "hostel" (more a B&B) in Milan, Italy that had me convinced Boots was the greatest thing ever! Little did I know how much more it had to offer!

quote:

Originally posted by Capt Steve:
I sometimes wonder where'd I'd be today or what I'd be doing if I'd never found BNA. I'm sure it wouldn't be as wonderful.

Did you mean what you're doing wouldn't be as fantastic, or BNA wouldn't be as fantastic without you? Cocky b&*^*rd

quote:

Originally posted by skobb:

Even after going out for drinks with Sean I came back to the site. That's saying something.

Yes, and I'm still around too, even after Sean broke out the sake at noon on a Friday at the BNA house last December. Seems to be a theme.

quote:

Originally posted by Tracy Ann:

Did you mean what you're doing wouldn't be as fantastic, or BNA wouldn't be as fantastic without you?

The first, my dear, that life wouldn't be as wonderful without BNA...

While trying to avoid doing work one day I googled "Travel Stories" and found Boots. I hung around reading stories, blogs and etc. It was more than a year before I discovered the forums. Geez. What I missed out on.

Jet