Max Hartshorne at the GoNOMAD Cafe in South Deerfield.

GoNOMAD Writer Profiles

Max Hartshorne: A Passion for Travel

The Art of Having a Great Time

"If you approach something with real passion and dedication and think about it all the time, and work on it until one a.m., eventually you're going to succeed."

Max Hartshorne has always had a passion for travel and travel writing and through hard work and bold initiative, he is now in a position to "live the dream."

This year alone he has traveled to Chile, California, Cyprus, Malaysia, Austria and Greenland. You won't find him gambling in Vegas or sitting on a beach at Club Med. You're more likely to find him having a great time in little-known travel destinations like Hungary or Belfast or Arkansas or Milwaukee.

This is a guy who can have a great time in the frozen reaches of Arctic Greenland.

Max also did the "full monty" in the name of travel journalism when he traveled to De Anza Springs, the "clothing optional" resort in Jacumba, California, and wrote the most popular story in GoNOMAD's history: "American Nudist," which gets more page views than any two other stories combined.

When he's home he enjoys greeting guests at his internet cafe and publishing one of the country's top travel websites.

Besides working with writers from prestigious publications like the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Explorer's Club and the UK's Royal Geographic Society, he also helps aspiring travel writers get published for the first time. How cool is that?

Max on Toughie, riding at the SK Ranch in Montana.

Many aspiring travel writers have also gotten their start by working as interns at GoNOMAD, where they help work on the website, write articles and often take trips sponsored by local tourism boards. "Max is great to work with," said one student intern. "He's very motivated and he pushes you to do better."

In 2002 Max, then an editor at Transitions Abroad magazine, bought a travel website called GoNOMAD.com from its founder Lauryn Axelrod. At first GoNOMAD had its headquarters in Max's basement, where he worked on it part-time.

By 2005 the website had its own office in rural South Deerfield, Massachusetts and Max was working there full-time, along with Webmaster Joe O'Beng and Associate Editor (and cousin) Stephen Hartshorne.

Now the website is housed at the GoNOMAD Cafe, which features espresso, fruit smoothies, bagel

Swimming in a cave in Hungary

sandwiches, free WIFI and classes where people can learn all about different facets of the Worldwide Web.

"I'm traveling, editing and teaching people how to work with the Web," Max says. "And I'm having a ball."

Max got his first editor's job at 21, when he helped start the Portland Chronicle in Maine. He worked in production, advertising sales, web design and editing for twenty-seven years.

His writing has been published in many newspapers and other publications including the Valley Advocate, the UMass Press, and Traveler's Tales Books.


Read more stories by Max Hartshorne:


Sardinia: Notes From a Big Wild Island

Melbourne, Australia: A City of Arts, Sport and Fun

Quebec City's Winter Carnaval: Getting to Love Being Outside in Winter

Isola d'Elba, a Jewel off the Coast of Tuscany

A Slice of Peace in Tuscany's Mountains

Medellin, Colombia: From Fear to Hope

Blogging from Burgundy

Denmark: Compact, Cozy and Well Designed

The Italian countryside in Le Marche.

Riding in Montana Among the Aspens

Becoming a Part of a Ranch Family in Montana

Meeting the Maori on New Zealand's North Island

Bologna, Italy: Conversations and Blogs

Burgundy France Lives Up to its Reputation

Blogging From New Zealand

Blogging Greenland

Kitzbuhel Austria: Designed for the hiker, biker and skiier

Graz, Austria: Whimsey and Green Ideals

Journey to Mars: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Where the River Meets the Redwoods

Moments in Magyar: Hungary Is Ready for Visitors

Cyprus: A Divided Island Begins to Prosper

Malaysia: A melange of Three Cultures

Local Guide: Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket

Are We There Yet? At 46, I Take My Parents to Italy

Belfast, Northern Ireland: Peace Brings Prosperity

Against the Tide in the Off Season

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Great Beers, Music Festivals and Art

Ecotourism in Portugal: Mingling with the Storks and Dolphins of the Sado

Renting a Car in Europe: A GoNOMAD Italian Experiment in Savings

American Nudist: Living the Naked Life in California’s Desert

Cooking In Italy: Being Part of the Family at Mami Camilla

Set Sail on a Tall Ship from NZ to Easter Island

Adventures in Travel Expo Taps Into Hot Vacation Trend

Nature, History and Railroads: Enjoying Them All in Richmond, Virginia

Arkansas Ozarks: A Green and Pleasant Land

Wintering in Montana: Glacier National Park and Whitefish

Read Our GoNOMAD Writer Profiles: Kent St. John David Rich Max Hartshorne Sony Stark Paul Shoul Tim Leffel Cindy-Lou Dale Kelly Westhoff Mirdula Dwivedi Lucy Corne