Believe us, the travel writing life is a good one but, as with any field, breaking into it when you're fresh out of school can be tough. If you're a student seeking the roving writer scene, check this out: National Geographic Traveler magazine and Travcoa, a luxury and exotic travel outfit, are sponsoring a new travel writing contest aimed at finding the "best new travel writer" among US and Canadian college students. The winner, accompanied by Nat Geo editor Keith Bellows, will take a working journey to Mongolia in July 2008, where the writer-to-be will file a feature story for publication on the mag's web site. Cool way to get great cred.

Aspiring scribes should pen a 300-word essay by December 31, 2007, about something "that moved, excited or changed" them; for details, check out travelwritercontest.com. Good luck!

^{Related: Travel Contests and Prizes | Glimpse Student Traveler Photography Contest}