Introducing “Dare Me!”

I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted. ““ Jack Kerouac

The Dream –

Traveling around the world has been a dream for me since I was laid off from my first post-college job in March 2002. It has taken me over 5 years to make it happen, and I am at once ridiculously excited about the possibilities, and a bit uneasy about this whole lack of a job and income idea that goes along with it.

Dare Me! Activity –

Dare me to do something funny, embarrassing, strange, adventurous or pedestrian.

Tell me about it by leaving a comment, or sending me a message, along with a suggested donation amount (and web address if you have one). If I accept, then I'll write about it, post pictures and/or video on the blog, and show my thanks by adding you to the Dare Me! page.

Here are a few ideas…

• Visit a certain monument (beach, park, etc.)
• Eat a strange food (insects, birds, brains, etc.)
• Spend a day trying to get the phone number of a Parisian woman (note: this is hard enough when you speak the language!)
• Obtain and mail a souvenir
• Go 5 days without a shower (warning: this might happen without the dare)

To give you a sense of how fun this could be, check out “Challenge Steve” at the Savage Files. I learned about this site after I had already committed to the premise of using dares as a way to create interactivity with readers (and earn a little $).

Here are a few of Steve's challenges:

Take a photo of you AND Maria drinking a Fanta in front of the house where Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. I just love Zanzibar, and I threw in the Fanta because it's really hot there and you'll be thirsty.
Reward= fifty US dollars
Status= pending…

Challenge for Morocco: Take a photo of you enjoying a glass of mint tea at a local hangout. Reward – US $10
Reward= ten US dollars
Status= COMPLETED!, and the funds have been put towards some hair restoration treatment!

Please note, you can submit your dares any time! Like Steve, I'll simply list them as “pending” until I make it to the appropriate part of the world. If a dare is completed, donations can easily be made via PayPal or credit/debit card using the “Make a Donation” button on the left sidebar.

Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.