Bob Riel
the writer with a global curiosity
Writing Portfolio
My travel memoir - Two Laps Around the World
I'm the author of the travel memoir Two Laps Around the World: Tales and Insights from a Life Sabbatical. It's about the experience my wife and I had when we decided to take a few months off from our careers to travel. The experience was so incredible that we repeated the experience less than three years later and so ended up traveling around the world twice - once in each direction. You can read more about the book here.
Road trip series on Examiner.com
- Road trip into the roots of American music
- The utimate baseball road trip
- Atomic tourism: Trip through Cold War history
- Fall foliage tour through quintessential New England
- Presidential road trip through Virginia
Travel - destination articles
- Seven spectacular fall foliage drives
- World's best stargazing destinations
- Set aside time to visit these Boston baseball landmarks
- Bookstores can also be travel destinations
- Do your hiking in the city on these urban walking trails
- Explore civil rights and African-American history at these sites
- Life abounds at these desert botanical gardens
Travel - narrative essays
- Chasing the Spirit of Moses (book excerpt)
- Athenians, Buses and Automobiles (Travel Blogger)
- In the Indian Himalayas: "Om Mani Padme Hum" (book excerpt)
- It Was Dawn, We Were in Africa (BootsnAll.com)
Photo essays
Cross-Cultural Writing
- Orientation for a Global Population (chapter written for a business book)
- U.K. Culture Shock: A Comparison of American and British Styles (Workforce Magazine)
- The Cultural Context: China (Eaton Consulting Group)
- The Cultural Context: United Arab Emirates (Eaton Consulting Group)
- Brazil: A Cultural Profile (Relocation Journal)
- South Africa: A Cultural Profile (Relocation Journal)
Op-ed Columns
- Globally Aware Citizens Know their Geography (Arizona Daily Star)
News & Feature Writing
Some older feature articles from my journalism days at the Woonsocket Call newspaper:
- Nobody Believed the Pilot (published nationwide by United Press International)
- Gene's Variety Part of a Vanishing Breed
- Cremation Gaining in Acceptance
- His Pictures Document a 'Classic City'
- Appalachian Trail Inspires LaRose
A small sample of the hundreds of news stories that I wrote:
- Council Fires Police Chief as Audience Jeers
- Preservation Unit Sees 'Architectural Treasures'
- Congresswoman Speaks to Local Residents
- Teachers Union Considers Strike
Feature stories published in company and alumni magazines:
- At 67, Gains Entry to R.I. Bar (Roger Williams College)
- Fantasy Football League Keeps Alumni in Touch (Upbeat)
- Toyota and Up with People (Toyota Magazine)
Testimonials
Travel writing
"Bob, Your 'Two Laps Around the World' is wonderful!!! I am hooked and reading everything. Your book is much more than a travelogue, as you have brought your cultural awareness and observations with each step. I am savoring your book!" - Mary Jo S.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the book! There were a few nights I found myself up past 2 a.m., not wanting to put the book down as I was excited to learn about your next journey." - Paul R.
"I found this book filled with fascinating cross-cultural insights...Two Laps Around the World is an entertaining read. I recommend it for any actual or armchair traveler interested in how we fit in the broader world." - John S.
Cross-cultural writing
"As a Brazilian living in the United States for seven years, I was amazed about how precisely some of the cultural differences were expressed in your study. Although I can understand those differences very well, putting it into words can be a very complex job - and you did it so well." - Victor D.
"I am writing to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your article in the latest edition of Workforce. As an Englishwoman currently living over here in Boston, I found your points to be right on target." - Sue C.
"The pieces you sent on Japan and Mexico were top notch...Your work will most definitely add a fresh element to the travel document series." - Export Hotline
"I am a Professor in the Graduate School of Business. I teach several classes within the Master's of International Management program. Recently, I came across a very good article written by Bob Riel on the subject of U.K. cultural shock. I would like your permission to reprint that article for distribution to students in my classes." - Rodney B.
Journalism
"Bob, I just wanted to drop you a word of thanks for the time you spent writing that article. It was an excellent historical perspective that no one had ever done and it was extremely accurate." - John W.
"We enjoyed your comprehensive coverage of our event. Your summation of the keynote speaker's remarks were a clear indication of very successful reporting." - Frances D.
