GOOD magazine wants you to show off your hometown

GOOD magazine is putting together it’s 11th issue, which is focusing on travel. Toward that end, the editors over there are looking for contributors to show off their hometowns by submitting video “tours” of their cities and towns that answer a pretty simple question: What makes this place stand apart?

Got a secret spot in Boston? Know the best blues bar in Chicago? Can you take readers beyond usual guidebook dross to the real Paris? GOOD wants to hear from you.

The mag is looking for contributors to take readers on a video guided walk through their favorite neighborhoods, highlighting can’t-miss watering holes, eateries and unique sights and attractions. At some point in the future they’ll pick the best video entry and award someone with two round trip domestic tickets on JetBlue.

You can learn more about the project here.

You can go here to submit videos.

Happy filming.

The Motorcycle Doctors in The Gambia and Beyond

This video published on YouTube by Good Magazine about a program that equips health workers with motorcycles in The Gambia brought back memories of when I was in the Peace Corps there. I was a health education volunteer who trekked with a community health nurse to three villages from N’Jowara, the village where she and I lived. The roads between these villages was soft dirt. From N’Jowara to the main road that led to Banjul, the capital, was about seven miles on a hard-packed dirt road. From the point my road hooked up to the main road, the trip to Banjul involved two ferry crossings and a taxi ride–also on a hard packed dirt road. Banjul was where The Gambia’s main hospital was located. Depending on the season, it could take several hours to make the journey. Some days the taxis didn’t go all the way.

Whenever N’Dey and I set out for a village visit as part of our job we hoofed it. I had a bicycle, but she did not. It didn’t matter anyway because the dirt was so soft, riding a bike through it was almost impossible. Often we would get to a village to meet with the village health worker or the traditional birth attendant to find out they weren’t home, so we’d turn around and walked the three miles back. The fact that she had me to walk with her keep motivated to make the trip. After watching this video, I’m happy to see that health care access is becoming much easier than back then. The scenery is just as I remembered it. I can almost taste that red dust. Thanks to Marilyn Terrell, our National Geographic Traveler information-giver extraordinaire for passing the info about the program along.