humanity
If nothing else, travel opens your eyes to the colorful quilt that is humankind.
Hometowns
There’s a name of a town that some people will have only seen etched onto a sign, as they race up the M5. It exists in history in charters and on illustrations of the country and you can find it if you zoom right in on Google Maps. It’s rarely mentioned in the News. Not many people have heard of it. Isn’t that always the way with home-towns? “I’m from a small town, you’ve probably never heard of it.” How many times have you heard this expression or one dressed like it? Too many times to count, possibly? No-one knows this little town, it wasn’t the site of great battles and it wasn’t where Kings and Queens were born. The people from this little town don’t have distinctive accents, with rolling ‘R’s or hesitant ‘H’s. Unlike the cities it doesn’t sink greedy claws into your skin, bursting through it like teeth breaking the flesh of a peach. And it’s not like the countryside, which travelling through seems like less of a holiday and more like an astral projection. The countryside, whereupon looking into the eyes of the grazing cow feels eerily like you could be trapped in the gaze of a great prehistoric deity, a goddess who collects the songs of children and has been long forgotten by the world. No, it’s just a town akin to any other town.
Roxane OliviaPublished 3 years ago in WanderWhy Collecting Experiences is Important
I once heard a quote from Walt Disney that said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”. I truly believe that. Life as we know it can change in an instant. I learned that the hard way when I lost my hearing in 2006. The first time I heard something similar I was a freshman at Arizona State University (ASU). This orientation speaker said to “make the most of your college experience”. At the time, I thought it was just some cliché statement that they make every year to every single freshman. However, I embraced the idea since it seemed like I collected a new friend every day the first three weeks of school (many I have dubbed my college sisters and am still close with today). Oh the adventures we had and created (don't worry ladies; I'm not spilling the beans LOL). These are moments and experiences I will cherish forever.
M'chelle NicolePublished 3 years ago in WanderSefton Park: My Sanctuary in the Heart of Liverpool
Writing about a certain place can be difficult due to the unreliability of your emotional memory. For instance, my fondness for Jamaica is based solely upon the fact that, when I was working on a cruise ship, I was given every Thursday off so I could play for my vessel's cricket team, against a side from the local community.
Christopher DonovanPublished 3 years ago in WanderFLYING TO KOREA
Back in May 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic I had a hard decision to make. I was staying in Bangkok, where the people had taken a step up and done what they needed to in order to curb the spread of what is now known as one of the most devastating global illnesses on our generation. What started as an isolated illness in China, the virus spread like wildfire around the globe, infecting millions, killing without discrimination and smashing economies. It changed the tourist industry for who knows how long and left many stranded all over the world.
A Breath In - Lightening Up
Clarity (a breath in)... ahhhh.. Literal clarity settling in and boy does it feel good. Like a weight literally lifted, new space in my chest and shoulders, into my spine. I feel grounded but lifted - ready to move forward in a direction that I now know is the right one.
AmandaSproutsPublished 4 years ago in WanderSamsonite Road
From New Jersey to North Carolina, South Carolina to Georgia, Maryland to Florida. I strive in different areas and embrace different settings of time. From the different lingos to the rise of the sun in different areas of the city, it just seems like an addiction to me. To roam freely across every area within the world. Sort of like a Dr Suess story come to life, but my color is not green nor do I have a furry frame. I used to scoff at the thoughts of running to a train just to make it to my next destination, or getting jet lag during a two hour flight (such an amateur). But, the thrill of hearing transportation information, train engine exhaust, and a groggy self going to a gas station to get a gatorade and relieving myself after a few hours on the road seems like a habit in a blessing.
Thomas BensonPublished 4 years ago in WanderHong Kong 1997
HONG KONG IS LIKE AN EX To me, Hong Kong is like an ex-boyfriend: I remember how it all started, I have evidence that we had fun, there were moments of anger and hate, I'm glad we have moved on, the break up was weird, and I have no regrets. In fact, I have TWO ex-boyfriends associated with the five years I lived in Hong Kong, so 3 really is a magical number. I'm now a Torontonian and I have been since 2002. Married with kids no less. Hong Kong really was the one before the One.
The Start
I think we can all agree that COVID-19 is the absolute worst. A virus that came into existence less than a year ago has changed life as we know it. It's safe to assume that none of us view life the same way we did eight months ago. COVID-19 has made me completely re-examine my ideals and I can say, with absolute certainty, that I have absolutely no idea what this whole "life" thing is even about.
Devon RiddlePublished 4 years ago in WanderSilence, Skin, and Soul-Saving Soup in Mexico City
I was hungry for something new. It was January 2019, a few days into the new year, when I booked a one-way ticket to Mexico City, desperately craving a solo adventure. Only hours after I'd arrived, messages and calls poured in from friends and family. They wondered how my trip was going, what the weather was like, and what I'd eaten so far. I left them all unread.
Elliot AdamsonPublished 4 years ago in WanderLife on the midway
I am back in Tulsa working another parking lot fair but I don't care. I have only one goal at this point, to get to Garland Texas. That is where Ruby and I are working the same spot next. Fourth of July week Garland is going to be a huge party.
James SimsPublished 4 years ago in WanderThe Cambodia Incident
If you like drugs go to Cambodia. Go directly to Sihanoukville and start running your fucking mouth off. This is a vague account of what happened to me in that life-sucking paradise.
Alexander HamiltonPublished 4 years ago in WanderBali to East Java
Well where to from Bali. These days most tourists take a flight to Surabaya then bus it to Yogyakarta and beyond. But many miss the splendor that is East Java. I am a little bias in saying that, as I was born and raised in Surabaya the capital of East Java. East Java is a little drier than the rest of Java. But that does not mean that the terrain is devoid of splendid beauty. There are magnificent National Parks. Indonesia's only Safari park. Pure white sand beaches and crystal blue seas, calling, “come in for a swim”.
Woody DeJongPublished 4 years ago in Wander