Carleton Convocation to Feature Popular Travel Writer and Adventurer

On Friday, April 17 at 10:50 a.m. in the Skinner Memorial Chapel, adventurer, award-winning author, and world travel expert Doug Lansky will present Carleton College’s weekly convocation address. Entitled “Get Lost,” Lansky’s address is free and open to the public.

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normal"> "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">After college, Lansky spent two and a half years traveling around the world, working jobs as diverse as selling carpets in Morocco, picking bananas in Israel, and snowmobile-guiding in the Alps. His travels were cut short by a car crash in Thailand, but Lansky resumed his adventures six months later, this time with a nationally-syndicated travel column called “Vagabond.” His column currently reaches over ten million readers in 40 major newspapers.

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normal"> "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The message of Lansky’s column and speaking engagements, delivered with a healthy measure of humor, is to urge travelers to go beyond the “Top 10” sites and create a travel experience that is more meaningful than a series of snapshots in front of famous buildings. Lansky encourages travelers to take the road less traveled and get outside the typical tourist resorts, while also giving advice to help avoid common travel pitfalls.

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normal"> "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Called a “vagabond extraordinaire,” Lansky has spent the last ten years on the road in over 100 countries (having lived abroad an additional six years). He is the author of several acclaimed travel books, including “Up the Amazon Without a Paddle: A Humorist’s Offbeat Adventures Around the World” (Meadowbrook Press, 1999), “Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Traveler” (Travelers’ Tales, 2001), “There’s No Toilet Paper…on the Road Less Traveled: The Best of Humor and Misadventure” (Travelers’ Tales, 2005), and “The Rough Guide First-Time Around the World: A Trip Planner for the Ultimate Journey (Rough Guides, 2006). Lansky is also the author of the popular Lonely Planet series, “Lonely Planet Signspotting” and “Lonely Planet Signspotting 2.” A third edition will be published in September 2009.

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normal"> "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Lansky is a regular guest on National Public Radio’s hit travel show “The Savvy Traveler” and hosted a documentary on the Discovery Channel / Travel Channel. He currently makes his home base in Sweden, where he lives with his wife and daughters.

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normal"> "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Office of College Relations. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4308. For more information about Doug Lansky, visit www.douglansky.com.