Nerd's Eye View
Pam Mandel’s personal blog of travel memoir, essays and literary observations.
About Nerd's Eye View
Nerd's Eye View is the personal blog of Pam Mandel, a writer whose work includes a memoir, a screenplay turned award winning film, and a podcast. Mandel has been publishing essays and travel pieces here since at least 2004, and the site now contains more than 1,600 posts. She publishes about one to two posts a month, mixing travelogue, personal essay and writing advice. The site showcases Mandel's own storytelling and often includes original photos and linked resources related to her trips and projects.
This reads like a traveler's bookshelf more than a route planner, intimate and opinionated in equal measure. Pam Mandel writes essays that draw you into small moments - an abandoned tarot deck in Moab, a conversation with an old friend - and then widens them into reflections on travel, identity and craft. Her prose is observant, often wry, and clearly written by a seasoned storyteller; the sample piece shows long, thoughtful first-person narratives rather than bullet-point lists. The site is best for readers who like literary travel writing, how-to pieces about being a writer, and a steady drip of thoughtful posts at roughly a couple a month.
Where They Travel
international
Pros
- Large archive, over 1,600 posts since 2004
- Literary, reflective travel and memoir essays
- Regular posting cadence, about one to two posts monthly
- Posts include original photos and linked resources
Cons
- Mostly long personal essays, not quick practical guides
- Few step-by-step itineraries or planning checklists
How Popular Is Nerd's Eye View?
- Majestic Million rank738,440
- Open PageRank2.9 / 10
- Best-of lists1