I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the purpose of this newly created blog. After all, with so many blogs being created every minute (vaguely I’ve read 80,000 new blogs a day) I figure it best to declare my intentions.

First, the title. “Brave New Traveler” is meant to invoke a number of things, Huxley being one of them. The other is the fact that traveling has now entered this bizarre time of hyper globalized societies that thrive on new technologies like the internet, and following suit, there is a new breed of travelers that benefit from using these new ways to experience the world.

The days of sparse computers, even in remote areas of the world, are disappearing. If you can find a town, chances are you’ll find an internet café or at least someone’s basement with computer access. Digital cameras allow us to document our trips. Scores of online travel communities allow us to stay connected with our friends and families along the way – but at what cost?

Marshal McLuhan said every new technology offers new opportunity, but we lose something else in the deal. For travelers, it’s very easy to feel like you never left at all. Constantly checking email, sending messages back home…the world is becoming smaller everyday. Part of the allure of travel is the adventure into the unknown. To leave our lives behind like an old skin. To reinvent our views of the world. To shatter our egos. But is that still possible in today’s world when every terrain has been uncovered?

Perhaps it’s just become harder to truly experience a new culture, away from all the people and landmarks we know. We have to dig deeper to find what traveling really means: is it a journey to simply pass the time? Drink new brews? Find ourselves? Expand our horizons?

And so this blog is dedicated to exploring the emerging tools that accompany us on our journey. It will vary from the practical (how to store your photos, which laptop is best to bring along, how to save time in an internet café) to the philosophical (should we even take a camera at all?) to news, reviews, opinions, and much more.

I hope to have guest authors accompany me along the way, so if you’re interested in joining me, drop a line here. And if you’ve stumbled across this blog in its infancy, I welcome you.

Stick along for the ride. I promise it will be a journey.