All posts by Michael Brein

Michael Brein, aka The Travel Psychologist, is an author, lecturer, travel storyteller, adventurer, and publisher of travel books and guides. He regularly appears in newspapers, magazines, blogs, and radio programs on the psychology of travel.Michael is the first to coin the term travel psychology. As such, through his doctoral studies, work and life experiences, and world travels, he has become the world's first — and perhaps only — travel psychologist.Michael publishes travel tales ebooks — collections of stories on a specific travel subject, theme, or country: Travel Tales Monthly — a monthly, sort of book-of-the-month potpourri, bookazine of particularly good stories; and Collections — groups of similar kinds of travel stories on very specific subjects, themes, and countries of interest.Michael Brein resides on Bainbridge Island, Washington.You can view The Travel Psychologist blog and website at www.michaelbrein.com.You may email Michael at michaelbrein@gmail.com.

Travel Tales Monthly Bookazine

Travel Tales Monthly
No. 4 October 2014

 Ugly Americans

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Travel Tales Monthly Issue No 4 for October 2014 is now available in my eStore. Go to www.michaelbrein.com for more information and to purchase or subscribe.

Michael Brein’s Travel Tales Monthly Bookazine Issue No. 4 for October 2014 contains among the best travel stories from Michael’s huge collection of about 10,000 travel tales that he has gathered in interviews with nearly 1,750 world travelers and adventurers during his four decades of travel to more than 125 countries throughout the world.

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Travel Tales Collections Bookazine

Travel Tales Collections
No. 3 October 2014

 Mexico Horror Stories

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My new Travel Tales Collection, Mexico Horrors 1, a monthly book-a-zine, issue No 3 for October 2014, is now available in my eStore.

Michael Brein’s Travel Tales Collection, Mexico Horrors 1, features three wild and scary travel tales of unbelievable things that can happen to you in Mexico. Bad things do happen, and mostly there are the usual, typical, expected sorts of wonderful Mexico experiences. But there are also those unexpected, unpleasant surprises that pop up now and again in Mexico.

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Sirens Luring Sailors to their Deaths?

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Heine–the Story of a Musical Genius Gone Awry!

Featured Travel Story in  the September Issue (No 3)
of Travel Tales Monthly

People are all full of rare, mysterious, apparently paranormal and other ‘gifts’ and abilities that give rise to a panoply of oft strange and (maybe mystical at times) human experiences.

And, maybe most of us, or some of us, are fortunate enough to have experienced at least one of these strange, bizarre psychic events in our lifetimes. And some of us maybe never have or never will! But–and here’s the key–there’s ENOUGH of us that have experienced something of this to strongly suggest that maybe we should pay more attention to this stuff.

And, ain’t it a damn shame (but I do understand why) that the norm throughout ‘civilized’ human history has been largely to suppress this sort of thing?

It’s no surprise, then, is it, that children are often the ones to experience apparitions (until they are socialized against doing so); plenty of people see UFOs; some of us have synchronicities we cannot possibly explain away; others have predictive episodes; telepathy, and on and on the list continues.

When it comes to the paranormal and the bizarre, “Why can’t we all get along?” Heine, in this month’s (September) Travel Tales Monthly (Issue No 3) was someone with a rare musical genius, who, because of / or, woefully, in spite of his wondrous gift, got caught up in something way beyond his ability to cope with.

More about the September Issue:

Michael Brein’s Travel Tales Monthly Bookazine Issue No. 3 for September, 2014 contains among the best travel stories from Michael’s huge collection of about 10,000 travel tales that he has gathered in interviews with nearly 1,750 world travelers and adventurers during his four decades of travel to more than 125 countries throughout the world.

The 10 travel tales that are featured for September, as well as each following month, include a fascinating mix of travel stories as well as a few brief vignettes.

The September issue features such tales as The Chicken, The ‘Cow,’ and The King of the Road, whereby travelers get themselves into trouble by driving and running into people or animals with their cars. It is difficult enough when such a thing happens at home. But what if it occurs in a strange foreign land? What do you do?

And, if that is not enough for you, how about Heine, our featured story for this month about a former child musical prodigy who accidentally stumbles into a strange mystical experience involving ancient mystical and mythological legends. Everything points to the possibility that an ancient sea legend may just turn out to be true!

You are going to scratch your head this month. And you will also see some sad and serious aspects of travel as well. You will certainly experience vicariously those vagaries of travel-life that can await you and can suddenly appear just around the corner at about any turn along the way.

 

 

 

Travel Tales Collections

I am pleased to introduce to you my new Travel Tales Collections. I’ve just begun a new mini, bookazine periodical that provides you with three or more very interesting travel tales on a specific travel subject, theme or country.

A subscription is offered for six months or a year, whereby you’ll automatically receive a new issue, one per month. Of course, past issues will always be available, and more titles will be released and available over time, above and beyond the monthly subscriptions.

So far, two Collections have just been released: African Safaris and The USSR. I try to release these in a newsworthy fashion. For instance, in light of current events, Collections on Israel and the Middle East as well as Mexico Horror Stories will soon be forthcoming.

A subscription to Travel Tales Collections is very affordable, so please enjoy. Please visit my ESTORE (see above).

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Review of Travel Tales of Michael Brein: My Best 100

“Thanks to Michael Brein … to be the pioneer of this field …” 
—Shawn K. 07.18.2013

“I just finished listening to the Audible version of the top 100. I listened cover to cover and I really enjoyed the stories. You have inspired me to, one day, join the TCC [Travelers’ Century Club] I am up to 20 countries and counting. I’m 30 years old, so I think I have a good shot!”—Timothy T. 08.08.2014

We’re Celebrating!

The Grand Re-Opening of My Website, Blog, and eStore!

Today!

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And while you are here, why not take a look at my brand-new monthly book-a-zine,

Travel Tales Monthly

It’s an ‘ebook of the month’ periodical of simply great travel stories and vignettes–10 at a time–from my collection of 10,000 travel tales from nearly 1,750 world travelers and adventurers whom I’ve interviewed throughout my own world travels to 125 countries over the last five decades.

“You wouldn’t believe the incredible stories people have told me about their travels!”

Subscribe Today!

 

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Strategic Temper Tantrums

Do They Ever Work?

The Art of Miscommunication!

“I don’t always throw tantrums in my travels, but when I do, they most always work!” . . .

The_most_interesting_man copySuch might have said the world’s most interesting (Dos Equis) man, but, clearly, he doesn’t ever need to throw a tantrum, but some of us might benefit somewhat by doing so.

Here are a few vignettes of mixed success of temper tantrums strategically placed. A couple are outrageous; another may be more on a slow burn, but effective, nonetheless.

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