By Greg Sullivan  April 2nd, 2010 4:40 pm  |  Comments (4)

This past November I visited China for the first time. I was fortunate to go there with few expectations, which meant that every turn revealed something new, every conversation was a chance to learn. I saw China’s explosive growth everywhere I looked; I also noticed its environmental consequences. I realized that the authoritarian government is part of the reason the country has accomplished so much so quickly; I experienced what it was like not to be able to access favorite Web sites. I talked with businesspeople about the opportunities of China’s fast-growing economy; I saw the health and education problems of migrant workers who are moving by the millions into urban areas. I admired the modernization of the cities and the growing prosperity of the people; I listened to locals concerned about losing their culture. Because I was so open to the experience, the trip was filled with the unexpected.

I believe our challenge as travelers is to bring the enthusiasm and openness we have for new places (like China, for me) to destinations that we know.

How do we do this?

When we travel to a familiar place, we can seek out the unfamiliar—the unexplored neighborhood, the untried activity, the unmet subculture. We can dig deeper to discover new and different shades of the life that we already know there. Or—and this is perhaps the most difficult—we can set our preconceptions aside and look at what is familiar with fresh eyes. Maybe we will find that things are not quite as we thought.

We hope Afar inspires you not just to take a trip, but to explore the world with a fresh perspective and a desire to find the distinctive in every place you visit.

Let us know where travel takes you.

By Nicole Solis  February 19th, 2010 3:29 pm  |  Comments (1)

Today, Afar’s cofounder, Joe Diaz, appeared on a travel-themed episode of The Martha Stewart Show. In addition to being the doyenne of beautiful living, Martha is also an exceptionally well-traveled lady. She chose Afar as one of her daily Finds for “its focus on travel as a way to explore and connect with other cultures.”

Joe and Martha chatted about their favorite trips—China and the Galapagos for Martha, India (the birthplace of Afar) and Argentina for Joe—and of course, one of the best ways to truly get inside a culture: its food.

The other guests joining Joe and Martha were best-selling author and Afar contributor Susan Orlean, environmental advocate Alexandra Cousteau, and Flight 001 cofounder Brad John.

By Julia Cosgrove  February 7th, 2010 2:34 pm  |  Comments (10)

For each issue of Afar, our staff chooses a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sends a writer on a spontaneous journey. The department, called Spin the Globe, is one of our favorites, because we never know what might happen. In the March/April issue, on newsstands February 9th, we sent writer and actor Andrew McCarthy to Ethiopia. Here’s a short dispatch we received from Andrew while he was on assignment.