We thought we had everything under control and things were going smoothly until the last hour and a half. We began feeling the pressure of the deadline and InDesign was being a b**ch!

Also, when we finally sent everything off to print, the printer, obviously, ran out of ink. And the whole building had no spare ink cartridges.

At this point, people were running around, frantically, trying to find help with the techies… Meanwhile last-second touches needed to be adjusted on InDesign and, well, we missed our official deadline.

But no matter! We are very proud with the result and the hard work and unexpected problems were definitely worth it. The magazine looks amazing and we hope you will enjoy reading it.

Thanks for following this production blog. We had so much fun making it. You’ve had a chance to see how we work, as if you were part of the Life360 team!

Until next time, Life360 signing off.

Some make exploring and travelling a major part of their life. Explorers were, since the 15th century and the discovery of America, the main source for mapping the still largely unknown world. They were the people who risked their lives to discover virgin territories and inform the rest of the population. Today, although the majority of the world is now traced and mapped, the thrill of exploring has not died down.

Many still want to see with their own eyes the wonders that our Earth has to offer. When a good pair of walking boots and a knife was probably the basic kit for an explorer, today, modern equipment, techie gear and communication technologies enable travelers to live the adventure fully.

Chris Patient, 54, British mountaineer

Chris has done rock climbing, mountain treks, abseiling, extreme skiing photography…and in many mountain chains of the world. He now and lives a quieter life in Switzerland with his wife, Anna, although that has not stopped him from hiking and skiing regularly. “I have never grown tired of exploring but I am now quite satisfied with simple and easy and closer adventures,” he tells Life360, “I no longer need to go to Tibet in search of adventure but I am quite happy finding new single trails on my mountain bike in a nearby forest.”

His most memorable experience was climbing to the summit of Cho Oyu (the 6th highest summit in the world) in the Himalayas. At the time, he was 40 and although the technology was advanced, it was not quite as high tech as it is now. He told Life360 how he feels about the technological progress regarding equipment:

“Equipment has improved making exploring easier and more comfortable. The biggest advantage now is communications with the internet and GPS technology. I think actually this has given  modern young explorers more confidence to push boundaries even further and take even more risks to achieve much more.

However, somehow the feeling of always being watched and always having to record and report on modern media has taken away the real spirit and feeling of adventure out of today’s adventure athletes.”

Julien Duval, 31, French travel photographer

Julien has lived in Zagreb in Croatia for five years and his photography is largely inspired by the surrounding landscapes. He graduated in Geography so he has a serious background and knowledge of map reading. However he has nothing against modern technology where travel is concerned:

“As a geographer, I have nothing against GPS but most of the time I use maps,” he explains to Life360, “GPS is good because it’s much easier to find remote places and the Earth has less secrets. You can explore everything.”

He is more concerned that people with techie equipment put on a show rather than actually travel. “Some people never travel,” he says,” they can have all the equipment and everything but maybe they are afraid to cross the psychological fence. Once you cross this fence, you’re done, you can go wherever you want.”

Mikael Strandberg, 53,  Swedish explorer

Mikael Strandberg has 28 years of exploring experience behind him. He produces documentaries about his expeditions which he has toured around the world. On his blog, he gives a list of “25 essential items for the beginner adventurer” and surprises us by clearly saying “don’t bring a GPS”.

“Obviously all the new gadgets have ruined proper exploration where you use all your senses,” he says, “and if you make a mistake with the GPS, running out of batteries for example, now that is when it is a problem. Manually those things never happen.”

However, in the expedition reports that he posts on his blog, he admits that sometimes a GPS is indeed necessary when, for instance today’s maps are not accurate due to mobile populations. In his report on an expedition conducted in Yemen in 2012, he writes:

“We realized that there´s no modern maps marking all the new settlements along the route we choose. So, with the help of the GPS we have marked every permanent settlement in these areas and valleys which are much more populated than any map makes you believe.”

   “It doesn’t matter what equipment you have, all you need is the will to go out there.” Julien Duval

We had a great photo shoot for out contributor’s page. We each brought an object that defines us through our interests, our passion and our hobbies.

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s been going on…

Our photographer, Victoria brings the best out of Edyta!

Work in progress on our website and print issue:

As a 21 year-old student who is passionate about travelling, I am very often confronted with the same old problem of travelling on a budget: where to sleep cheaply and relatively comfortably?

I have stayed in a youth hostel in Madrid with three girlfriends and had a couple of memorable yet cringing experiences. I have gone camping in Burgundy in France with two other girlfriends where we suffered sun burn and what felt like a thousand mosquito bites.

When in June 2014, I was offered a three week internship in Montpellier, southern France, I almost rejected the idea because I had no idea where I was going to stay. A hotel was out of the question for three weeks, the friends my family knew in the region lived too far out from Montpellier and, as much as I love camping, three weeks on a blow-up mattress seemed unbearable.

Then I thought of Airbnb. The online hospitality website that enables ordinary people to rent out a room in their home or their entire property, was launched in 2008. Since then it has soared into a multi-million dollar company that claims around 25 million ‘travellers’ and over a million housing possibilities. Today it is as popular as ever but is also facing certain legal actions, mostly about taxes and safety issues.

I stumbled upon Alex and Alexis’s profile and instantly warmed to the young couple and their flat. It was ideally placed for me. I would have my own room but would share everything else with them. The only source of anxiety was that they were total strangers. And I had accepted to live with them for three weeks. After the first awkward days however, we all quickly relaxed and settled into our routines. They told me from the start “our home is yours.”

More than just sharing their flat, I got to know them more intimately and quickly than I had ever met anyone before. They were kind, fun, open and welcoming, always offering help. We didn’t only live as estranged ‘housemates’, we became friends and went to town for drinks or to the beach together. We never actually mentioned the money I had paid because it wasn’t an issue. My three weeks there went by in a flash and I have many happy memories.

As I was leaving Montpellier, standing on the quay in the train station, Alexis said to me: “Come and visit again. But this time, you’ll come as a friend. Our door is always open for you.” We met as strangers who were linked by a contract. We parted as friends that I shall surely see again.

Airbnb is all about connecting individuals around the world. It gets people out of their comfort zone and makes them live with strangers, or in their homes. But some are questioning the website’s honesty regarding tax-paying and requirements such as safety or hygiene. Time will tell how things evolve this year, after the various legal actions it is facing. Nevertheless, it remains an inspiring success story that started with a simple idea of two broke guys who couldn’t pay their rent.

Read, watch and listen to everything about Airbnb here.