solo travel
You've got somewhere to go, but no one to go with; solo travel is the nexus of independence and opportunity.
White Blank Page
I closed my eyes and absorbed the darkness, letting everything around me come alive. I had roamed the streets for hours, taking it all in: the smell of melted mozzarella on the world’s finest pizzas; the ghostly decadence of the city’s oldest buildings; a loud melody, Chopin perhaps, can be heard through an open window; the dazzling chaos of roses, daffodils and poppies sitting on sills, stealing each other’s colours; and the repetitive navy-and-white striped men, proudly parading visitors down Venice’s shimmering canals. As I reached San Marco, Venice’s personal hotbed of human stench and anarchic clatter, the sweltering summer air was hard to take in. The waves of flickering cameras and the howling chatter of the crowd engulfed the piazza. Revolted, I wriggled away from the daunting humanness. I moved away from the crowds seeking silence. The chatter faded away, as did the Sun and the unbearable trail of heat it left behind.
Carlota MauraPublished 7 years ago in WanderJust An Old Country Road
Unless you have lived in a city all your life, you probably have driven or walked down a country road. Sometimes it's a road home, a road to Grandma's house or to a favorite fishing or hunting spot.
A Weekend in Santa Marta
Santa Marta is an undiscovered gem of a city located on the northeastern tip of Atlantic coast of Colombia. I say that it’s an ‘undiscovered gem’ because it usually flies under the radar when compared to its coastal counterparts of Cartagena and Barranquilla. Still though, for Colombians and foreigners alike on vacation, Santa Marta has a lot to offer its visitors. I was drawn to Santa Marta a couple of months ago when I visited its neighboring town of Minca, which is also quite beautiful and full of lush scenery up in the mountains. Unfortunately, I did not get to spend much time in Santa Marta so I decided that during my 2nd time living in Colombia, I could not pass up the chance to visit this city if I had the chance.
For the Love of Tagine
Welcome to the blue city. There is a four-year-old child clinging to his cat on the steps of his home. The blue tunnels feel like underwater caves and you almost expect sharks and dolphins to weave between the crowds. There is an old lady selling bread- hard, floury, fresh Moroccan khobz, and a flock of animals and their child counterparts run up and try to steal crumby mouthfuls. The smell of leather, incense and cinnamon loom from musty underground doorways. Handmade jewellery and hair oils line doorways and wooden shops and the pavement is cool and dusty. Doesn’t this sound glorious? This is Chefchaouen, in the far dreamy north of Morocco.
Imogen KarsPublished 7 years ago in WanderThe Purple Backpack
If the little girl I was could see me now, with my purple backpack on my back, old tennis shoes and walking by myself on the streets of Rome, she would smile gladly.
Angela DuranPublished 7 years ago in Wander'Sorry I'm Late, My Bike Broke Down...'
I wasn’t particularly nervous for my move to the UK. After all, I’d lived in South Korea for half a year and spent a summer interning in Kenya and Uganda (such white girl, much wow), speak English pretty fluently, and I wasn’t afraid of being culture-shocked in what’s pretty much a neighbouring country to the Netherlands. I was determined to act professional, starting my MA, to blend in with the Brits and stay far away from ‘situations’ I’d encountered in my previous episodes of expat living.
Merel van 't HooftPublished 7 years ago in WanderAmazing LGBTQ Resorts
If you are gay, lesbian, or trans, planning a vacation can be difficult. In fact, going to the wrong country with your partner can result in you being hurt, charged with a crime, or even killed. Additionally, discrimination is always an issue - even in cities that are supposedly cool with LGBTQ couples.
Cato ConroyPublished 7 years ago in WanderThe Road To Timbuktu
No, this is not a remake of a Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movie. You know, those road trip movies of the 1940's. Although they were quite funny. When we think of Timbuktu it conjures up images of such a far away remote place, so isolated very few really know where it is. To even reach Timbuktu is a remarkable trek to one of the world's most fascinating places. A rich history of scholars and scribes. Timbuktu was once the meca that supported a flourishing industry of scribes who copied texts brought by traders, merchants, and other scholars.
Dr. WilliamsPublished 7 years ago in WanderThe Thrills of Skydiving
The airplane starts to whirl its engines and ascend slowly up into the atmosphere. I’m as calm as a Hindu cow trying to remain unaware of what I’m about to do. My instructor who is tied at the hip straps me in as tightly as possible as a necessary safety precaution. I am still in denial about what is about to happen to me but it’s too late now. There is simply no way to turn back now.
The Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language
Learning a foreign language often gets overlooked by those people who like to travel to different countries and have fun adventures, unique experiences but refuse to learn the local tongue while they are traveling. However, A large part of truly integrating yourself into a foreign culture when living overseas is to develop a working proficiency in the local language. When you make the effort to learn the language, it truly makes a difference both to those in the new community and/or country in which you’re residing. If you consider yourself to be a worldly person who likes to travel, you must also seek to become well-versed in foreign languages.
- Top Story - March 2017
Why I Only Travel Solo And You Should Too
"A stranger sees us the way we are, not as he wishes to think we are." —Shadow of the Wind Exposed inquisitive exploration—that is what it means to travel the world, and in my case, solo; where experiencing different cultures, customs, nuances, and beliefs are a day to day learning experience and way of life.
Natasha SydorPublished 7 years ago in Wander Hong Kong: An Exercise In Controlled Chaos
Despite the fact that Hong Kong is a modern metropolis and one of the financial epicentres of the world, strong local traditions are still not lost among the infinite cultural crossovers. Aromatic scents and even the smell of oriental food hang in the air, enveloping you almost everywhere you go. Along the streets an infinite number of neon signs flash in both English and Chinese, huge TV screens hang from the walls of buildings, adding to a overwhelming sensory overload of flashing lights as a barrage of voices, music and background noise envelops its visitors.
Scott SnowdenPublished 7 years ago in Wander