Travel Story Themes

More than 200 different travel themes weave their way throughout these stories, creating a psychology of travel–an endless mosaic of the true travel and adventure tales of not just a few people, but of many–in fact–ultimately 1,500 people! These tales are not travelogues; these are not the tales of tourists and how they spend their summer vacations–these are the true accounts of life, of the wonder of peak human experiences, of struggle–and in some cases–of the death of travelers! Below is a long listing, not all inclusive, of various themes these tales can contain. What are your travel tales about?

• departing from home, interesting and unusual arrivals overseas
• ships, trains, planes, cars, buses, taxis, vans and hitchhiking
• surviving airplane crashes
• other unusual forms of transport famous transport, e.g., Titanic, QE2, Concorde, Green Tortoise, etc.
• hotels, places to stay, sleep related experiences
• common questions asked of travelers
• floods, earthquakes, storms and other natural disasters
• interesting mountains, rivers, deserts, volcanoes, etc.
• hostile environs, dangerous dogs, insects, wildlife
• fantastic observations, contact with birds, wildlife
• illness, disease, death, dying, bodies, getting well
• accidents, mishaps, running into or over people or animals
• robberies, pickpockets, theft
• rapes, fights, attacks and threats
• bad, dangerous, frightening, frustrating and otherwise unpleasant situations, dangerous places
• wars, riots, spying, terrorism and other civil disturbances
• kidnapped, abductions, highjackings, hostages, disappearances, white slavery
• kidnapped (and later returned) garden gnomes, teddy bears that have traveled the world
• cleanliness, filth, slums, poverty
• great escapes, close calls, chases
• travelers with nine lives
• soldiers, police, roadblocks, arrests, foreign jails and prisons
• sexual harassment
• other forms of harassment
• prostitutes, call girls, famous ‘shopping' streets, x-rated stuff
• border, customs hassles, smuggling
• beggars, hustlers, con artists, con games, scams, extortions and other rip-offs
• cannibalism
• prejudice, language problems, bureaucracies
• toilet stories
• earning and conserving money, traveling on very little, getting something for nothing, getting away with something, stealing, black markets, changing money
• travel styles, ways people travel
• making friends, meeting people, breaking the ice, romantic, love and sexual encounters
• great hosts, hospitality, generosity, interesting peoples, countries and cultures
• national characteristics, differences, contrasts, behaviors, values, attitudes, attitudes towards women, habits,
• nonverbal gestures, communication, interaction, customs, culture shock
• lifestyles, visits with locals, village life
• meeting the real people, getting ‘local'
• the most beautiful women
• interesting, memorable travelers and local persons encountered
• interesting, favorite, best and worst places; best and worst times, experiences, sights
• unusually interesting peoples, places, things, museums, sightseeing attractions
• famous people you have met
• holidays, festivals, events, happenings, weddings, celebrations
• markets, bazaars, souks, shopping, bargaining, etc.
• foods, drinks, drugs, other substances, restaurants, cafes
• hippies, bygone eras, older stories, ago, earlier times, historical
• entertainment, sports and other fun, sights or pleasure-seeking activities, e.g., ballooning, river-rafting, flying your own plane
• photography, cameras, picture taking, ‘Kodak Moment'
• best postcards, souvenirs, collectors' items
• unusual travel accomplishments, e.g., mountain climbing, bungee jumping, sky diving, awards, adventure clubs
• discoveries, surprises
• communing with nature
• first impressions of all kinds
• returning to where born, visiting foreign relatives
• pass for people of different countries
• Peace Corps, Medical Corps, missionary experiences
• achievements, self-development, personal growth, learning, attitude change and any other personal changes, gains or losses as a result of travel, why travel
• saints, miracle workers, gurus, magicians
• mystical, spiritual, religious, peak experiences, enlightenment
• occult, black magic, witchcraft
• ghosts, aliens, UFOS and any other weird, strange, paranormal or occult phenomena
• deja vu, synchronicities
• any other human needs, desires, fantasies
• first times of all kinds
• sailboats and sea stories
• only white person locals have ever seen
• who can you trust? how do you know you can trust someone?
• travel from the perspective of children
• ‘from hell' stories, e.g., the hotel, airplane, bus, tourist, train conductor, etc., 'from hell!'
• ‘confessions' stories, e.g., confessions of a hotel manager, a game ranger, a tour guide, etc. ...
• do's and don't of travel, travel tips, the best and worst travel guides
• other travel advice, lessons learned, wisdom of travel
• funny stories
• experience of returning home

Michael Brein's Travel Tales
FAQ / Themes / Notify Me