Category Archives: Mindful Living

One Birthday Wish I Could Do Without

By Roadmonkey | Published September 3, 2013

by Paul von Zielbauer On Wednesday, Aug. 28, I had a birthday. It was a nice birthday. I received dozens of emails and messages from friends and family. And then I got this from a bank called CapitalOne 360: from: Capital One 360 <saver@capitalone360.com> reply-to: sales@capitalone360.com to: Paul <xxxxxxxx@gmail.com> date: Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at […]

Tagged banking fees, banks, birthday, CapitalOne, insincerity, mindfulness, paul von zielbauer, sincerity | Leave a comment

A Peru Adventure Travel Experience ‘One Notch Up’

By Roadmonkey | Published August 20, 2013

by Andrea Guzman In early 2011, I found myself in need of a challenge – I wanted to travel, see something gritty and real and also give back in a meaningful way. One day, flipping through Oprah magazine in a doctor’s office, I saw an article on Paul von Zielbauer, the Roadmonkey founder, and his […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy, expeditions, Kickass Exploring | Tagged Andrea Guzman, Apurimac, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, paul von zielbauer, Peru, rafting, Roadmonkey, Sacred Valley, South America, travel with purpose, volunteer vacations, volunteering, whitewater | Leave a comment

On the Road to Sustainability, In Liberia

By Roadmonkey | Published August 13, 2012

by Julie Thiery Last month, I spent two weeks in rural Liberia with the The Niapele Project, a nonprofit organization focused on sustainably improving the lives of impoverished children. I spent most of my time outside of Monrovia, in the town of Handii, in what is known as Lower Bong County. I focused much of my energy […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy, Kickass Exploring | Tagged adventure, Africa, dreams, exploring, Julie Thiery, Liberia, Niapele Project, Roadmonkey, service trips, sustainability, travel with purpose, volunteer vacations, volunteering, voluntourism, West Africa | Leave a comment

Why We Need Adventure: It’s Chemical

By Roadmonkey | Published June 4, 2012

by Cecee McDaniel Why is it so exhilarating to face fear? A study was done in the late 80s that proposed the Idea that our lack of adventure causes us to engage in seemingly high-risk activities, such as cliff diving, hang gliding, or riding roller coasters. The New York Times wrote of the study’s findings: […]

Also posted in Kickass Exploring | Tagged adrenaline, adventure, dopamine, exploring, neurology, risk, roller coasters, The New York Times | 1 Comment

Was Bruce Lee a Roadmonkey?

By Roadmonkey | Published April 24, 2012

The legendary Bruce Lee, a martial artist and student of philosophy, lived his life as if it were a series of opportunities, challenges and celebrations. In that regard, you could argue that he was living la vida Roadmonkey in his own, Bruce Lee way. (This is what happens when you stay up too late watching […]

Also posted in Dreaming Big, Kickass Exploring, Smart Risks | Tagged "Bruce Lee", action adventure, adventure, enter the dragon, explorers, fists of fury, gung fu, Hong Kong, iconoclast, jeet kune do, kung fu, return of the dragon, Roadmonkey, salsa danging, wing chun | 2 Comments

“One thing you dream of doing before you die….”

By Roadmonkey | Published April 1, 2012

ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO a Columbia University student, Jenny Lam, created an intimate portrait of New York dreams and aspirations by allowing hundreds of city residents to anonymously write down one thing they want to do before they leave this Earth. Ms. Lam placed pre-stamped postcards all over Manhattan. Each bore a return address to […]

Also posted in Dreaming Big, Smart Risks | Tagged "bucket list", "New York", art, dreams, manhattan, neuroses, nyc, Postcards, public art | 2 Comments

The Meaning of Roadmonkey

By Roadmonkey | Published March 29, 2012

Many people ask us what Roadmonkey means. Not literally but figuratively. Except non-English speakers, who actually do want to know the dictionary definition of road • monk • ey. (There isn’t one). Roadmonkey means all of the things below. But it also means what you have come to think of Roadmonkey. The definition lives […]

Also posted in Adventure Philanthropy, Kickass Exploring, Smart Risks | Tagged creativity, culture, happiness, identity, meaning, Roadmonkey, travel | Leave a comment

Why Waking Early Matters (though we loving sleeping in)

By Roadmonkey | Published February 22, 2012

Roadmonkeys are known to tie one on now and then. But we also believe in getting our sorry asses out of bed early whenever possible. Read the post below, a reprint of a recent item on The Daily Om, to find out why. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Before the World Wakes – […]