Author: Diana Southern

In March 2014, Diana called it quits on her traditional American working life and set out to explore the world with her partner in crime (and love of her life) Ian Norman. They now live a sustainable life of full time travel, working for themselves and seeking adventure at the same time. Here on North to South, Diana documents their journey in achieving and maintaining this "road less traveled" way of life.
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Featured Travel Couple: Amy Dresser and Nathan Hartle of Two Drifters [Interview 5]

Travel Couple Interview Series on North to South Featuring Amy Dresser and Nathan Hartle

Travel Couple Interview Series on North to South Featuring Amy Dresser and Nathan Hartle

Meet Amy Dresser and Nathan Hartle: writers, travelers, and recently-engaged lovers (Congrats, you two!) behind Two Drifters.

As any nomad will tell you, sustainable travel is NOT about saving up money in advance. Sure, you should save a little, but more importantly, reducing your daily expenses will make the biggest impact on your success as a full-time traveler. And as you’ll discover, Amy and Nathan have that ALL figured out.  Find out how this pair of digital nomads achieved location independence without even planning on it in our interview below. But first, let’s let them introduce themselves!  Continue reading “Featured Travel Couple: Amy Dresser and Nathan Hartle of Two Drifters [Interview 5]”

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A Traveler’s Review of the GoPro HERO4 Session (and 5 Reasons to Choose It Over the Black and Silver)

GoPro HERO4 Session: A Traveler's Review

GoPro HERO4 Session: A Traveler's Review

Compact: check. Lightweight: check. Waterproof: check.

These are three VERY important characteristics when it comes to a travel camera (and three key areas where the Session beats the other GoPro cameras HANDS DOWN). However, there are several GoPro options available today, and it can be tricky to determine which one to choose.

We spent the last month testing out the new GoPro HERO4 Session (on loan courtesy of B&H Photo), and [SPOILER ALERT] we liked it! But is the GoPro HERO4 Session the best GoPro camera choice for you? Let’s find out!  Continue reading “A Traveler’s Review of the GoPro HERO4 Session (and 5 Reasons to Choose It Over the Black and Silver)”

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Featured Travel Couple: Jenia Ustinova and Sergey Guryakov of House to Laos [Interview 4]

Travel Couple Interview Series on North to South Featuring Sergey and Jenia of House to Laos

Travel Couple Interview Series on North to South Featuring Sergey and Jenia of House to Laos

Meet Jenia and Sergey, the location-independent pair behind House to Laos!

If there’s one thing I’ve personally learned from our travel couple interview series so far, it’s that everyone’s situation is unique. And this is a story we certainly haven’t heard yet. While most full-time travelers almost entirely give up life as they know it at home, Sergey and Jenia have proven that location independence is possible while also owning a home! So for you homeowners out there with traveling dreams: it IS possible. Read on to find out how!  Continue reading “Featured Travel Couple: Jenia Ustinova and Sergey Guryakov of House to Laos [Interview 4]”

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[VIDEO] Just Released: Burning Man 2014 Caravansary — Now Who’s Ready for Burning Man 2015?

Burning Man 2014 video by Ian Norman

A year has passed since last year’s burn, so it was high time we buckled down and finally edited our footage from Burning Man 2014. And with Burning Man 2015 starting tomorrow, maybe the timing is perfect after all. Hope you enjoy!

Burning Man 2014 Video by Ian Norman

Cameras: Sony a7S | Sony a6000

Lenses: Sony E 20mm f/2.8 | Voigtlander 21mm f/4 Color Skopar | Voigtlander 40mm f/1.4 Nokton

Unfortunately, we somehow lost one of our memory cards last year, so we’re missing out on some memories, but I think we still had a good amount left. Don’t you? Continue reading “[VIDEO] Just Released: Burning Man 2014 Caravansary — Now Who’s Ready for Burning Man 2015?”

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10 Free Things to Do in New York City

10 Free Things to Do in New York City

10 Free Things to Do in New York City

Want to experience New York City but don’t want to blow all your savings in the process?

It may surprise you, but it IS possible. In fact, Ian and I took a budget trip to the Big Apple earlier this month, and we proved there are plenty of interesting, fun, and cool things to do without spending a dime!

We occasionally splurged on some necessary evils (Shake Shack burgers, ice cream, gourmet pizza… to name a few), but overall we spent surprisingly little on tourist activities in New York.

Here are 10 of our favorites from the trip:  Continue reading “10 Free Things to Do in New York City”

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Featured Travel Couple: Brandon Quittem and Anne Rapp of The Yoga Nomads [Interview 3]

Travel Couple Interview Series on North to South Featuring Brandon Quittem and Anne Rapp of The Yoga Nomads

Travel Couple Interview Series on North to South Featuring Brandon Quittem and Anne Rapp of The Yoga Nomads

Meet Brandon Quittem and Anne Rapp, a.k.a. The Yoga Nomads! 

Now approaching their 2-year travel-versary, this pair of nomadic yogis pushed health and happiness to the forefront when they decided to call it quits on American norms two summers back and began booking flights for their first destination. Today, they’re still roaming about (exploring the Pacific Northwest when we caught up with them for this interview), with a boatload of awesome experiences and a blog full of yoga-licious travel posts. (Check out their photos below and you’ll see what I mean.)

Ready for an intro to this couple’s yoga-infused nomadic lifestyle? Let’s let them say hello!  Continue reading “Featured Travel Couple: Brandon Quittem and Anne Rapp of The Yoga Nomads [Interview 3]”

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Proof that PHOTOS Make the Best Souvenirs: 9 Awesome Travel Portraits to Capture on Your Next Vacation

9 Awesome Travel Portraits and How to Capture Them on Your Next Vacation

9 Awesome Travel Portraits and How to Capture Them on Your Next Vacation

Are you a serial souvenir collector? Always gotta grab something from the gift shop to remember your trip?

What if I told you there’s a better way to remember that vacation than shelling out money at souvenir stands? This trip, say no to souvenirs and take a more active (and fun) approach to capturing memories: photography.

Here we’ve put together a collection of our favorite travel photos, complete with how-to instructions for capturing a similar shot of your own. Whether you’re city-, beach-, or outdoor adventure-bound… we’ve got a photo idea for you. You DON’T have to be an expert photographer, either. Almost all of these shots are beginner-friendly.

So grab your camera and put on your best face for your very own vacation portrait shoot!  Continue reading “Proof that PHOTOS Make the Best Souvenirs: 9 Awesome Travel Portraits to Capture on Your Next Vacation”

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Introducing My Brand New Business, Boost Marketing: Hands-on Marketing for New Blogs and Small Businesses

Announcing Boost Marketing by Diana Southern

Announcing Boost Marketing by Diana Southern

I studied advertising and graphic design in college, but I never had any interest in working for an agency. Crappy starting positions. Crappy pay. No fun. No thank you.

In my traditional working years, I opted for full-time in-house marketing gigs. I learned something from each, but my heart wasn’t in it because I wasn’t in charge. So my own marketing business has been a dream for a long time. The idea was born several years back, right after college graduation, but a full-time job and a multitude of other distractions placed my business idea on the back burner… until NOW.

If you’ve been pondering starting a business so you can live a nomadic lifestyle like us, you’ll want to read this! I’ve got some tips to share with you. Continue reading “Introducing My Brand New Business, Boost Marketing: Hands-on Marketing for New Blogs and Small Businesses”