Tripintor is the creation of Chris Christensen who is also the host of the popular Amateur Traveler podcast.

What is your background?
By day I am the Executive Vice President of Engineering and Operations for a company that creates internet community for major companies like Campbells, HBO, eBay and the NBA. So, the technical part of blogging has never been a challenge.

Growing up we did a lot of traveling for vacation, usually pulling a small trailer between various national parks. The success of a vacation for the Christensens was measured with an odometer.

I enjoy learning new languages before I travel and have studied German, French, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Turkish, Russian and Swahili. I find the language to be a great window into a culture. For instance in Swahili the language uses the same word for guest and stranger. In Chinese the character for good is a woman with a baby. Although I have studied a number of languages I am only fluent in English and that only when properly caffeinated.

Have you gotten any interesting press coverage?

The Amateur Traveler has gotten some great press.

National Geographic Traveler says: “Some podcasts have gained a minor cult following. For example, some 1,000 listeners follow Californian Chris Christensen’s Amateur Traveler series, a mix of personal adventures, travel news, and helpful tips.”

Men’s Journal says: “One of the 4 best adventure travel podcasts”

The Chicago Sun Times included the Amateur Traveler in their list of 10 “Best travel sites”:

“We’re thrilled when we stumble on diamonds in the rough like AmateurTraveler.com. This relaxed weekly podcast hosted by Chris Christensen offers travel tips, news and interviews with fellow explorers that provide that personal perspective missing from most guidebooks. A player imbedded on the site makes listening convenient, and amateur videos provide front-and-center glimpses of some of Christensen’s treks.”

Popularity: 4% [?]