Not long ago – in a land quite close by (my apartment) – I came upon Abigail King’s fabulous blog, Inside the Travel Lab. It was an unexpected meeting; we connected on Twitter based on our mutual love and study of travel. I became a fast follower.
Described as one of the web’s best travel blogs, Inside the Travel Lab is a global travel blog on the art and science of unusual journeys. Unusual – and fascinating – in that Abigail has a background in neuroscience and emergency medicine *and* is a freelance travel writer. She combines her expertise and love of both into rich, eclectic and fascinating snapshots of insightful stories about the people, places and things that she’s discovered and that have shaped her.
I asked Abigail if I could explore a bit behind the connections and passions that drive her writing and she graciously accepted.
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Laura: You started your career in medicine and now have an extremely successful site documenting your travel experiences. Was it difficult to marry those two passions / areas of expertise or did you find it a natural fit?
Abigail: Well, finding the time for both was the biggest challenge and in the end it was a combination that proved impossible. However, I think that both travel and medicine involve exploration by finding out about people and trying 
to understand how our world works. There’s an art and a science to both, plus they both need a cast-iron approach to assessing risk!
Wielding a scalpel for the first time, climbing an ice wall and arriving alone in a strange city where everyone stares at you – they’re all new, frightening and exhilarating experiences.
You need a certain amount of preparation in each case but for both independent travel and medicine, you need to throw yourself into the real world and challenge yourself.
Laura: When you review various places, you always take a very personal and “real” angle, not just a report from a location. What are some of your inspirations for your writings?
Abigail: I think I’m inspired by great stories and many of my trips have sprung from books I’ve read, ranging from Wild Swans and A Long Walk to Freedom to my childhood memories of the Adventures of Tintin! If there’s a tradition or a belief or a strong link to history in a place, then I’m hooked.
Today, it’s easy to find travel information by typing a few words into google, so if anything, I wanted to enjoy myself and hopefully to transport people to another place and show them something interesting.
Laura: What is your advice to bloggers, especially ones that want to blog about travel? How can they get started and what should they be mindful of?
Abigail: Choose a topic that you really love and then play around on wordpress.com for free (with privacy settings on) until you get the hang of the technology. Join Twitter and TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) and be courteous and considerate to people. There’s a really helpful community of travel bloggers out there but, just like in the real world, you need to treat people well.
Laura: And, most important, where’s your next trip?
Abigail: Aha! I’m just confirming dates this week, but I’ll either be hiking along via ferratas in the Dolomites or heading further afield to Sri Lanka (Icelandic volcanoes permitting!)
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Check out more from Abigail on Inside the Travel Lab and on Twitter. (P.S. I just booked an adventure trip to Ecuador so I know Abi’s expert advice, tips and tricks will help as I plan for my next travel piece!)
Readers: Where do you hope to travel to next?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice piece with Abigail! Good advice . . .
While I’d love to “do” Italy twice a year, alas, it is not to be. Reality and the need for paying gigs always interferes. That said, we are planning a trip to the Abruzzo region of Italy next spring. I’m looking forward to something a little off the tourist track. The food is reported to be amazing and the people, most gracious and friendly. To tide us over until then, we are trekking to the wilds of San Francisco and parts north next month, to track down my husband’s mother’s family. City Lights Bookstore, here I come (again!) . . . Buon viaggio!
.-= Linda Dini Jenkins´s last blog ..A Little White (Wine) Lie =-.
Aaah, Linda – I do know what you mean. I, too, would love to just pick up and go to Italy often. In fact, my family is from the Abruzzo region – what a coincidence! Can’t wait to hear about SF – and I love City Lights bookstore! Safe travels my friend!
i love to eat and drink exotic foods and delicacies from all over the world.~:;
Hey Brooklyn – me too! Glad to have you on board and thanks for the comment!
Thank you for inviting me!
Thank you very much for the post and for publishing a attractive site. I have been seeking reliable information on travel tips and may put these recommendations to practice. I have found it hard to find good suggestions, as there are so many web sites with junk articles. Certainly keep the good information flowing!
We have all sat through someone’s holiday pics and monologue.
It’s a rare pleasure to find someone who can describe travel experiences in a way that others actually enjoy it.
Ian´s last [type] ..San Diego — Now is the Time to Save
Thanks for your note Ian – I’m a huge fan of Abigail’s chronicles – she has a way of always making me feel as if I’m right there with her.
Laura Cococcia´s last [type] ..The 4 Books I Read On Vacation
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