Modern Oddyseus' Travel Annals

by Justin Breen
I'm a writer, traveler, philosopher, and student of life, people, and happiness. I like to go to countries that interest me for three months at a time, find a job, find a place to stay, learn the language, make friends, take hitchhiking trips around the area, and have fun. Here are some stories ...

CZECH REPUBLIC, TURKEY and ISRAEL 2008

 384. happy people? the sequel.
 385. the things I saw (going to Turkey)
 386. the people who picked me up
 387. the park in Istanbul
 388. a day at the kontor
 389. more than sightseeing
 390. in limbo, on a hot, dry island



 391. when a good kibbutz goes bad
 392. religious, mountain town
 393. jackals and cactusfruit
 394. lessons on thrumping, from Israel
 395. encounters with religious people
 396. Yom Kippur and other holidays
 397. from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea



 398. you say you sell stories??
 399. war in the Middle East
 400. a job and a place to stay, at last
 401. Israeli society and Judaism
 402. Judaism, on masturbation
 403. a good ending
 404. caring girl
 405. wuss out

SIBERIA 2007

 331. acts of spontaneous ecstasy
 332. the port
 333. what not to do when you visit Spain
 334. food, football, and laughter
 335. revolution
 336. focus of trip: meditation
 337. Monday evening samadhi
 338. not so fast!
 339. Marcel Pagnol
 340. slow dancing
 341. give me an egg, painted
 342. party at the "hut"
 343. a new tradition, for Vanesa’s baby
 344. Bratri Orffove, in concert
 345. see not the sky
 346. out all night
 347. the thrill of the wild unknown
 348. young friends, an old home



 349. where I left off last year
 350. Alaskan architecture
 351. looking for work in a new town (a manual)
 352. the warm arms of bandits
 353. watery air on fire
 354. Bare-Top Mountain
 355. A.S.E.: climb a tree
 356. the Altaians
 357. how to survive the summer, homeless, in Russia
 358. in concert, DDT!
 359. Kumir Canyon, and how I got into the concert
 360. vlyublyonyy
 361. sick in the city
 362. A.S.E.: teach (part I)
 363. A.S.E.: teach (part II)
 364. winter has come
 365. last night a rock bar saved my life
 366. samadhi while posing for artists
 367. scary house



 368. two scary DDT songs
 369. a walk around Tomsk
 370. a second and a third walk around Tomsk
 371. two decades after perestroika – part I
 372. two decades after perestroika – part II
 373. A.S.E.: ice skate
 374. Enjoy English Songs
 375. the Moscovian kadril and other fun dances
 376. a New Year, ...
 377. ... and new hope
 378. winter travels to the Black Sea
 379. illegal entry #3 (Ukraine to Russia)
 380. illegal customs clearances #4 and #5 (Russia to Russia)
 381. DOCUMENT (by Justin Breen)
 382. illegal entry #6 (Russia to Ukraine)
 383. happy people

EAST EUROPE 2005-06

  272. eliminate the oikoyeneia
  273. but, what about the summer?
  274. my individual dreams
  275. squatting with anarchists
  276. an intern for Epi?
  277. sleeping with Pepa on trams
  278. from visiting the Czech ...
  279. ... to teaching in the Czech
  280. tall Czech beers and women
  281. sunlight, silence, and sincerity
  282. make a story in class
  283. Krnov je raj
  284. waltz, jive, and the cha-cha-cha
  285. these are the months of the year ...
  286. the totally unexciting story about Poland



  287. St. Mikolas's Day
  288. what I did on Wednesday - part I
  289. Wednesday - part II
  290. positives and negatives of teaching English
  291. Kolinovsky Christmas
  292. snowboarding with the devil
  293. cold traveler, smiling New Year
  294. may your every story end in dancing (the ball!)
  295. third time a charm?
  296. olive orchard life and philosophy
  297. give me a Euro, I'll tell you a story
  298. solve your own problems, but call your friends too
  299. Viki's phosphorescence, in a land of tiring challenges
  300. brahmacharya
  301. Carnaval in Patra



  302. a chronological account of sky-tall events
  303. the anti-monogamy poem
  304. outburst
  305. what I was talking about last time
  306. Toblerone, bratwurst, and flubble
  307. police, teachers, and the Vatican
  308. small, perfect
  309. (there should be) no pushing in love
  310. snowy hike, Slovakia
  311. Dacia, Romanian automobile
  312. everything's interesting
  313. a little about my trip to Romania
  314. traveling light
  315. one more list for the hungry


RUSSIA 2006

  316. in love immediately
  317. Soviet town
  318. you kiss like my grandma
  319. guys of the town
  320. afternoon of departure


  321. first day of the trip
  322. the decision
  323. Igor and I
  324. how I entered Russia illegally
  325. the spy comes back


  326. accomplishments and observations
  327. philosophies
  328. Julian's positive energy
  329. maintaining youth
  330. Prague, at 5 a.m.

EUROPE 2004-05

  222. Iceland's halfway 'cross the pond
  223. if you're insane, go to the hooligans
  224. rules and signs
  225. animals punching people
  226. back to friends
  227. Elaine and I hitchhike west
  228. rugged, inspiring Montana
  229. Swedes love bicycles and snus
  230. my two jobs
  231. oops, I'm in Finland
  232. Arctic excursion
  233. my Iranian boss
  234. party at Jojo's
  235. first Swedish snorkel
  236. surstromming, yuk!
  237. Swedish Hitchhiking Scavenger Hunt
  238. cows in the forest



  239. Sara Lidman
  240. Sweden, on religion
  241. coming and going (the last "Hej da")
  242. Umea to Spain - part I
  243. part II (J'aime les French!)
  244. part III (le vindange)
  245. part IV (priority change?)
  246. the last part
  247. the Pyrenees
  248. vikings and hooligans
  249. negocio serio
  250. WWOOFing in Portugal
  251. French food
  252. we come for ski work
  253. Merry Christmas from the slopes
  254. I'm making a killing in the supermarket
  255. don't get caught drinking beer on the job



  256. The Little Prince
  257. Klara and Martina (my friends)
  258. magic in the mountains
  259. a blurry night out in Andorra
  260. work-mates
  261. off-piste
  262. finally, culture in Andorra
  263. "bonne continuacion" ('round the globe)
  264. a beautiful girls laughs with you
  265. don't change, France!
  266. crossing the Balkans ...
  267. ... I don't need a visa
  268. the kid
  269. just shut up and talk
  270. rich culture
  271. traveling without peace

CANADA 2003

  178. Pancho and Corinne tie the knot!
  179. Canada, here we thumb
  180. Johnny and Adam's first day of hitching
  181. come on in to hospitable Maine
  182. "Fu**in' Right!" (we're going across Canada)
  183. farming Dr. Jim's apples
  184. bailing hay (human tetris)
  185. apple-farming Dr. Jim
  186. WWOOFer boys go to Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast
  187. Oak Island mystery
  188. the vegetarian meets the chicken-killer
  189. travelling Argentinian-style
  190. French people, Acadian coast
  191. Acadia to Gaspe
  192. atop Permission Hill



  193. Diane eats her vegetables
  194. Quebecois son fu!
  195. drinking on a Montreal door-step
  196. Adam turns 22!
  197. hitchhiker hell (it's a long ways across)
  198. migrants who specialize in the raking of pine cones
  199. out in the prairies
  200. "The Ride" (the best part across Canada)
  201. thunderstorms in the hills
  202. the "Johnny's" do Edmonton (Lust for Life)
  203. mountains and more hook-ups
  204. Canmore's "The 'Ho"
  205. travelling golf ball salesman
  206. Julie finally wins



  207. blow up Tofino
  208. "That is too cool." (we made it across)
  209. Labor Day, our summer ends
  210. lemon icebox cake hitchhing
  211. Wyoming's parks on the way
  212. the city that cares
  213. coasting down the coast
  214. my brother, the bird-brain
  215. crazy rides to San Antonio
  216. R and birds and R, with the fam
  217. Texas dances, Texas accents
  218. Little Rock rocks
  219. delta blues
  220. Meagan's chapter (and Allie's)
  221. home for Thanksgiving

ARGENTINA 2002-03

  154. Argentina Hitchhiker's "Barbado" Welcome Fiesta
  155. hitching to Bariloche - part II
  156. "No sheep for you!"
  157. it's all about the money (the $7)
  158. surviving Christmas alone
  159. Bariloche's best thing
  160. tango lessons
  161. the Peruvian girls' wits against the mountain Lopez



  162. it aint't easy doing nothing
  163. chilly Chiloe, Chile for snorkelling
  164. nice crisis, let's have another!
  165. llama encounter
  166. cold-water wildlife safari
  167. the city's underground
  168. Uruguay life
  169. put all the feijoada in the bag



  170. riding in kombi's with Monica
  171. don't be a Fortaleza playboy
  172. forro and Jericoacoara
  173. Amazon - tropical disease
  174. Amazon - fish tales
  175. buy now! world's best arepas
  176. diary of a nice guy's losing
  177. They Were the Best of Times

"S.AMERICA ON $320"

  124. broken hearts and deportation - part I
  125. broken hearts and deportation - part II
  126. "Boys, they come and they go!" (meeting my fantasy girl)
  127. limin' with the Trinis, on their turf
  128. hard work makes the world go round
  129. my landlady wants me dead
  130. test cricket heckling
  131. Maracas on me
  132. forging my path
  133. sailing week in Tobago
  134. Tobago's beauty



  135. Mt. Irvine's wonder
  136. Fu the Iguana Smuggler
  137. more sailing week fun
  138. Venezuelan smiles
  139. Maracas baseball
  140. Trinidad, it was nice to leave you
  141. from rotis to arepas
  142. the fiesta de los tambores
  143. gem in the Andes



  144. more Venezuelan smiles, and the road to Colombia
  145. an American in Colombia working illegally? that's gotta be a typo
  146. you could learn a lot from a coke-head
  147. my morenita house-mate - part I
  148. my morenita house-mate - part II
  149. la lucha latina
  150. "S.America on $320" abandoned
  151. Venezuela, 2nd time around
  152. Izac and Maria-Alejandra get hitched!
  153. angel in Caracas

"COMPETITION OF THE WEEK" 2001

  108. Miami to Miami in 8 hrs.
  109. "Competition of the Week" program
  110. nighttime crayfish hunting
  111. kayak-fun noodle-river joust - part I
  112. kayak-fun noodle-river joust - part II
  113. wear the most clothes



  114. street ping pong tournament
  115. casino trip
  116. frying pork with Michelle
  117. the obese pigeon (poetry contest entry)
  118. octopus love (poetry contest entry)



  119. poetry contest results, and Michigan results
  120. the longest shot
  121. Melanie's challenge
  122. Pansyckas (rrrgh!) makes me sick
  123. Sundae Bloody Sunday

BRAZIL 2001

  81. Carnaval in Olinda - part I
  82. Carnaval in Olinda - part II
  83. long walks on the beach
  84. the miseries of travel
  85. adventure in Pernambuco?
  86. a week in the mato
  87. a kid in the sand
  88. how not to be "esperto"
  89. hitchin' to Souza



  90. gone fishing
  91. dinosaurs!
  92. the Suyane mission - a lesson in overexpectation
  93. gradutation in Brazil
  94. leaving the Northeast
  95. Amazon - at the mouth of the river
  96. Amazon - climbing the river (slooowly)
  97. Amazon - still climbing
  98. Amazon - the Indians' pain



  99. Amazon - in the rainforest
  100. Amazon - descending the river
  101. other worlds
  102. Northeast potpourri - part I
  103. Northeast potpourri - part II
  104. if you've gotta go down, go down swinging
  105. embora
  106. Brazilian camera debacle
  107. walking Tchoko (I left my heart in ... where!?)

"ST. PETE OR BUST!" 2000

  56. "St. Pete or Bust!"
  57. FREE KITTENS
  58. "Date of the Week" program
  59. playing in the storm
  60. photo contest
  61. save the "Date of the Week" program!
  62. finding my Southern Bell, y'all
  63. world ice cream champion?
  64. getting old




  65. in search of the dim-witted armadillo
  66. limin' with the Trinis
  67. "Week of Gluttony"
  68. hitchin' to Miami
  69. "Date of the Week" savior
  70. Jojo's victory
  71. rules of the game
  72. wrestling-animals date



  73. sweetchum tradition
  74. "Date of the Week" in Michigan
  75. Psycho's date
  76. memories of Pansyckas
  77. Frenchy
  78. Johnny's 22!
  79. Florida Top 5
  80. "Date of the Week" strikes midnight

ICELAND 2000

  40. Gothan Dag from Iceland!
  41. "She was a knockout!"
  42. Great Mattress Heist
  43. mountains suck
  44. another wrong turn
  45. snorkelling in "Ice"land



  46. Great Mattress Heist II?
  47. Fun Day
  48. get-rich-quick
  49. the art of glacial river-crossing
  50. hunting puffins



  51. swimming with fat things
  52. work, drink, work
  53. failed trips
  54. Will and Justin's Hitchhiking Scavenger Hunt
  55. Going-Away-From-Iceland Bash!!

FIRST STORIES

  38. I'm hitchin' to Miami, bienvendio a Miami!
  39. Crazy Ice Cream Guy

   

AUSTRALIA 1999

  1. where the rainforest meets the reef
  2. transfering uni's
  3. life as a nomad
  4. Byron Bay weekend - part I
  5. how to make a didgeridoo
  6. roommate swap
  7. the winner of Justin's Death pool is ...
  8.catching a pet koala
  9. roommate swap - successful?
  10. camping trip from hell - part I
  11. camping trip from hell - part II
  12. first hitchhiking trip
  13. Easter Break with Aussies



  14. Fraser Island
  15. annoying travel partner
  16. marine animals are fun
  17. German travel partner
  18. roommate swap - unsuccessful - and my wallet was stolen
  19. day one of my week with the Crocodile Hunter
  20. "No flies on you, mate!" (the Crocodile Hunter conclusion)
  21. fast times at SCU - part I ("Stack's on!")
  22. The Smile
  23. fast times at SCU - part II (wrestling Bronnie)
  24. Kory visits Byron!
  25. a night in Brisbane



  26. my favorite city
  27. the Dalwood Falls story
  28. in the rainforest, another tough camping trip
  29. the uni days fade
  30. Sydney, Please - Student
  31. the Darling Waltz
  32. the last sundae
  33. longest hitchhiking trip
  34. nothing to do but snorkel
  35. leaving Australia
  36. paradise
  37. my Fijian family