Today I share my Christmas letter to friends and family—my update on my travels, work, volunteering, and personal growth in 2009 and reflections on living an unconventional lifestyle after 1 year living abroad.

Last week my friend and colleague Monica O’Brien published her first book, Social Pollination: Escape the Hype of Social Media and Join the Companies Winning At It, a thorough guide to social media marketing for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and PR and marketing folks.

My guide to 14 of the best-available ebooks out there that will help guide you through branding yourself, creating your own successful freelance business, outsourcing and turning your business into an empire on the web, easing into the nomadic lifestyle and getting the best travel deals.

Matt Kepnes has been enjoying long-term travel since 2006. He recently got back from a trip through Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Sweden and Austria, and I had a chance to sit down with him to get his story about living the mobile lifestyle and how you can earn money from your blog while you travel.

It’s important to acknowledge those who help foster your abilities and empower you to pursue the life you want. This Thanksgiving I wanted to share my gratitude to my many teachers, mentors, role models, and friends who have influenced my life and given me their support.

Oscar Del Ben of freestylemind.com explains how the erosion of job security affects you, and describes four great ways to start developing a second, alternate income stream to supplement your paycheck.

Corbett Barr from FreePursuits shares his experience taking a 6-month sabbatical from work and from “normal life” and how it made a positive change in his life. Maybe now is the right time for you to consider a sabbatical or a gap year too?

Ever wondered how you can leverage the social web to brand yourself online, build a following, and create a business that will allow you to live anywhere in the world? I’ve compiled all the useful tools and resources that I use daily and recommend to all my clients and friends. These are all of my best-kept secrets!