The World's First Travel Blogger? 40+ Years of Travel Wisdom with Best-Selling Author Jeff Greenwald

I sat down to talk with the world’s first-ever “travel blogger,” who’s credited with uploading the world’s first travel blog to the World Wide Web in 1994, a year after I (Bri, your "modern-day" travel blogger!) was born.This is a VERY special episode, my fellow bloggers and creators, not only because I’m joined by our collective godfather-in-blogging, but also because Jeff Greenwald, who is a best-selling author, photographer, and monologist, is my dear friend — and I’m honored and humbled to speak with him (and share it with you all here) about his epic travel tales, recounted in his books, and his life’s adventures, most recently of which is his journey with Parkinson’s.So, what’s the true “size of the world” and what is travel actually for?In this unscripted and light-hearted conversation, Jeff and I discuss the 30th anniversary edition of his best-selling book, The Size of the World—a chronicle of his around-the-world overland odyssey from Oakland, California, back to Oakland, California, without boarding a plane. ✈️ We talk about what it means to move through the world with curiosity, intention, and openness, and how travel can shape not just your experiences, but the way you see and tell stories.Again, I’m delighted to bring this intimate conversation between Jeff and me to you all now!Please support Jeff’s writing and learn more about his story and ongoing adventures on his wonderful Substack: Jeffji’s Big World. ❤️ 🐍 ✨ More About the Author:“Jeff Greenwald has published nine books, including Shopping for Buddhas, The Size of the World (for which he created the first online travel blog dispatches for an international audience), Snake Lake, and 108 Beloved Objects. His tales and essays appear in many print and online publications. Jeff’s first voyage abroad, at 17, ended in utter disaster, and a host of subsequent mishaps have provided rich fodder for his storytelling career. His critically acclaimed one-man show, 'Strange Travel Suggestions,' premiered in San Francisco in 2003. Jeff is also the Executive Director of Ethical Traveler, a non-profit dedicated to human rights and environmental protection.”Date and place recorded: Ubud, Indonesia. October 31, 2025