humanity
If nothing else, travel opens your eyes to the colorful quilt that is humankind.
The Lost Art of a Lost State of Mind
As I make my way across the harsh basin floor near the Red Rock Valley in the wide open state of Nevada, breathe in the fresh mountain air and watch mindfully as my daughter treads along beside me, I can only appreciate the very fact that we can, in fact, traverse this countryside with a sense of peace. Peace not only in the sense of the revitalization one receives upon setting foot in such an arid land, but in the fact that one can, indeed, step out of their vehicle and know that something so beautiful, so intriguing and yet, so dangerous can exist to this day in a way where we can enjoy it freely without borders.
By Danielle McCalip6 years ago in Wander
Tall tells of Old Salty
Salty lived for adventure, from hiking through Copper canyon in Chihuahua Mexico to swimming with leather-back turtles in the Galapagos islands. Always Salty would take along a friend or two. Allen, who walked with a limp, having lost a few toes to snapping turtles, not all at once, of course. Then there was Riley who took pride in being the only person to survive having been swallowed whole by a giant squid. There were no witnesses but no one would dare doubt a story of a trusted friend. On this particular trip Salty had decided to take along One eyed Jeff. All we know is that Jeff lost his eye in a seagull related accident, the details have always been vague. Now Salty and One eyed Jeff had decided to take on the task of trying to catch the elusive muskie in the lakes of Elk Heart Wisconsin. It was a cold and foggy morning as the two cast off the dock in the rented row boat. Salty knew something was just not going that well as they rowed back, some three hundred yards, to the dock where they both had assumed the other had loaded the fishing gear. As they came closer to the dock, One eyed Jeff reached out to grab the gear. Off course with limited depth perception, Jeff grab nothing but fog and fell head first into the shallow water. His sudden departure caused the craft to rock sending Salty of the other end. The two grabbed the sides of the boat and swam the mighty vessel back to the dock, where they could reach their poles and tackle. After placing the equipment into the boat they attempted to climb back into the vessel. Both had passed geometry with high D's so they both tried to climb in from the same side. After several dives they recovered the tackle from the bottom of the lake. And after two more attempts with similar results, the pair agreed to declare a victory because now they had five poles, three tackle boxes an two anchors. Fully soaked and very cold they returned they boat to the dock. Hoping to warm themselves they made their way into the local 24/7 dinner. Dripping with moss and mud they sloshed into a corner booth. As Stella, the overnight waitress approached the two, which at this point could have easily been mistaken for a pair of swamp monsters. She spoke. Welcome back Salty. Productive morning on the lake? Salty snapped back quickly. Stella we are glad to report the boats are sea worthy and the underwater fish count seems high this season. Now could we get our usual and could you help me get this bass out of my slicker?
By Russell Harris6 years ago in Wander
Falling in Love With America
It had been a life changing journey. The shift in my attitude towards America and Americans over the last three weeks was inconceivable. I pulled up outside the yellow neon lights of Izzy’s Diner. Still unsure of how to park in America, I picked a random bay on Glenham Drive and stopped the car. Checking the clock on the dashboard, I saw it was 3.37am, just about my birthday. I always counted a birthday to start as soon as you woke up, not before you went to bed.
By Stephen Johansson 6 years ago in Wander
France Roadtrip Nightmare
To Whom It May Concern: While traveling, it is common for one to experience a brief moment of “Oh my gosh this is my life!” For me, this usually happens during a private wine tasting in Portugal or watching the Eifel Tower twinkle at night while gnawing on a baguette. But there are few moments, even in life, where that glimpse of awe turns into a short reality. This moment happened for the six days I spent living out of a campervan through France. It was an accumulation of driving through the French Alps, hiking to waterfalls and rivers, picking wildflowers in a field, laying on the beach in Nice, eating fresh cherries we picked from a tree and the list goes on. Van life is what everyone made it cracked out to be – truly a dream.
By Haley Tonge6 years ago in Wander
Peyote and Potatoes
The night time temperature in July hovered at 75 degrees, a welcome relief from the sweltering 110 earlier in the day. The humidity was low, making it bearable. Wyatt had left his remote desert home three hours earlier to make his monthly trek into the nearest town for provisions, a Calico Print newspaper and a hot meal from the local diner there. It was 1890, and he had spent his recent days mining for silver in the nearby hills, after heading West to seek his fortune. He was still grieving the loss of his young wife, 20 years his junior. Six months ago, Tess had left him for a prosperous banker in Blythe, PA where they lived. More than anything, he missed her cooking. Her Scottish origins meant that he was treated to a steaming pan of rumbledethumps every Sunday night. It was his favorite meal of the week.
By Dana Rogers6 years ago in Wander
Washington Square Park
It was his second night in New York City. Morale was running low. He’d lost his wallet at some club around 12:38. After some time, in the search for his wallet he had lost his phone. After being lost for what felt like eons, but was probably only an hour or two, he’d lost his hope as well. He grew up in a small town which meant his navigating skills were about as good as any other average persons since the creation of iPhones.
By Jessica Harvey6 years ago in Wander
Worldwide Friendship
For as long as I've been going away from home, adventuring about the UK and the broader world, friendship has followed me. The kindness of strangers who become friends, and friends who'll be strange with you when the delirium of travelling sets in, is an absolute necessity to making the most of being away and getting to know the places you visit.
By Laura McCann6 years ago in Wander
End of the Road...
It all started with a break-up. The usual story of gay dating. After 2 years of bliss in New York together, I got a dream job in San Francisco and we decided to go long distance. It lasted well. We weathered his house burning down, the passing of his mother and my kidney stones. He graduated. He did his first triathlon. I thrived in the new company, adapted to constant beautiful days.
By Eric Machine6 years ago in Wander
It would look like this,
Present: Less than 48hours before it closes and I still haven’t started writing. I wonder why... Is it because I am busy thinking about all these things or is it just that I am being lazy? Or maybe I simply run out of things to say; I have been particularly normal and quiet today. No, that can’t be it! Writing for me is like a treasure island for a pirate. I may not know where to start but I am convinced that at the end there will be something valuable. So, of course, I will give it a try. But for the pirate to even start looking, she needs a map. I started looking for one.
By Orianne Toure6 years ago in Wander
