Project Alpha – The Trip That Changed My Life

EDIT: Our campaign has officially launched! You can purchase a copy of The Trip That Changed My Life on our Indiegogo page and help us get to our goal of $8,000. 

We’re so excited to be part of Project Alpha, an incredible initiative that’s spearheaded by Hung Thai of Up Up & A Bear. Project Alpha is a crowdfunded book compiling incredible travel stories by 50+ writers on the trip that changed their lives.

Here’s a little more (from the Project Alpha page) about how Hung first conceptualized the idea:

BUT, my travels have also revealed to me the destitute lives that many children and their families go through all around the world. To this day, I still can’t get the image of the little Peruvian girl devouring a granola bar I gave her, the same one I was about to throw away because I didn’t feel like carrying it around anymore…

That trip changed my life, my thinking, and my attitude. And I wondered how many others felt the same.

So I started this global book project (nicknamed Project Alpha), pulling together travelers and travel writers from all over the world to write about the one trip that changed their life. The intent is to show how powerful travel is AND to give back to the communities that have changed our lives for the better; thus, all funds raised through this project will be donated to charity.

What could be more rewarding than writing for charity?! All proceeds will be donated to two charities, Unbound, and Save The Children – they have an excellent track record for allocating donations (92.5% and 89%, respectively) for program work, and not unnecessary overhead costs.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

 

Sign up (or click on the image to go to our Indigegogo page), and get 10% off at launch. You’ll also be first in line to read inspiring stories on how travel has changed peoples lives.

Don’t miss out…PLUS our stories will be featured.

Check out the latest press release on ReleaseWire that made it to the front page of their site!

Unprecedented Worldwide Book Collaboration for Charity “The Trip That Changed My Life” Now Available for Pre-Order

Seattle, WA — (ReleaseWire) — 05/13/2016 –People go on life-changing trips all the time, whether it was the impact of the historical sights they saw, the friendliness of the people they met, the cultural differences they learned from, or even the delicious delicacies they ate for the first time. For Hung Thai, the trip that changed his life was in Peru. Seeing the destitution of families, including the little girl who gratefully gobbled up the granola bar he gave her instead of deciding to throw it away, made an impact that lasted forever. Stories like Thai’s, from more than 50 travel writers from around the world, comprise the new book, The Trip that Changed My Life.

The charitable leanings that inspired the global project continue to fuel its mission, as all funds raised will be donated to nonprofit organizations. Those who sign up for notifications on the book’s release at the project’s Indiegogo page will receive 10 percent off the price of the book, which will be available in e-book, paperback, and coffee table book format. Various sponsorship levels in the campaign give contributors rewards ranging from book mentions to video endorsements, to blog posts featuring sponsor companies.

Thai, founder of travel blog Up Up and a Bear, has been traveling the world extensively for the past five years and has a passion for interviewing adventurers about their journeys. He recruited top writers, editors, and ambassadors to contribute to the book, which contains anecdotes ranging from stories about volunteering during a political coup in Africa to navigating the Sahara desert.

“Travel, for me and so many others, is such a powerfully transformative way to impact positive life change,” says Thai. “The team hopes The Trip that Changed My Life inspires readers to take their own journeys of self-discovery by exploring the world’s wonders and meeting the people who inhabit them.”

All proceeds from the book will benefit Unbound and Save the Children. Unbound is the only child sponsorship program to receive a score of A+ from CharityWatch. Save the Children works with children in 120 countries, aiding in initiatives on nutrition, health, education and more.

Learn all about The Trip that Changed My Life at www.upupandabear.com/project-alpha. Stay up to date on notifications on the book release at www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-trip-that-changed-my-life-book-for-charity/coming_soon. Contact Thai for more information at [email protected].

About Up Up and a Bear
The Up Up and a Bear team believes travel is the best education anyone can receive. Founder Hung Thai works as an engineer but is passionate about touring places far and wide in hopes of learning more about those who are different than him, and more about himself. He founded Up Up and a Bear to share travel insights with readers, and the team of six regular contributors presents unique tips and tidbits taken from travel experiences from around the world.

Contact:
Hung Thai
Up Up and a Bear
[email protected]