Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Wander.
Un Voyage Historique Français Sombre et Joyeux
I have long wanted to visit France. I have a great appreciation for French culture, and I've learned a bit of the language. A friend from college got to spend an year in that beautiful country while her husband studied in Nice. How I envied them!
By Jennifer Miller5 years ago in Wander
Solo in Ireland
I read Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley close to twenty years ago. The story starts where Gone With the Wind ends. Scarlett and Rhett appear to be over for good. Tara is no longer the safe haven of her childhood, but rather a place full of memories and heartache. Scarlett is alone, no longer wealthy, and in need of healing and a fresh start. She decides to go to Ireland where her roots are. She wants to make peace with her past.
By Kelly Risley5 years ago in Wander
Solo Act 1
The air is full of excitement and anticipation… it’s the night I’m leaving to Budapest, Hungary. The crown jewel of Eastern Europe. I grip my passport tightly in my hand, pulling my coffee and cream colored trunk suitcase behind me. I arrive at the airport, look up at the board listing destinations everywhere from Cairo to Paris to Tokyo. I spot the gate number for Budapest and hurry along to board my flight to a destination full of mystery and romantic allure.
By Hadassah Cordoba5 years ago in Wander
Anywhere But Here!
I'm sure by now everyone has seen this meme at one point or another. It makes a valid point given how 2020 has gone thus far; the lockdowns then and now have made it more troublesome to travel anywhere out of fear of catching the Rona, and thus risking the lives of those around us and close to us. A lot of people likely don't want to bother traveling anywhere unless they absolutely have to, as they don't want to be forced to wear a mask, social distance, or simply be sent back home again.
By Jackie Barrows5 years ago in Wander
Me Time Hiatus!
Me time Hiatus!!!! All I want to do is get away and find myself again. I have been on a spiritual journey for quite some time and I have been trying to figure out how I was going to get some real me time! My dream is to go on a 3-6-month hiatus; no phones or social media just me, the beach, the sunset. But that is not realistic right now, so I settled for a weekend in Phoenix, AZ. My birthday weekend in April of 2020 was when I planned to take my trip. I worked hard for a year and the closer It got the more excited I got. Everything was planned, finalized, and paid for at least 2 months ahead. I told myself I would not let anything get in the way and I would not cancel on myself, I was important enough.
By Marcia O'Flynn5 years ago in Wander
A Colombian Adventure
No amount of research can prepare you for that feeling of when you step out of the airport in a new country. When I arrive in Cartagena and start about my quest I can imagine people dressed in colorful outfits littering the streets, smiling, selling their wares, giving directions. I will immediately do the first thing I usually embark upon when entering a new country, eager to learn the culture and people; search for the local markets. Meet the locals, see what they make, their art, their food.
By Kelly Pantaleoni5 years ago in Wander
Solo Home Run
I identify as a threadbare gypsy soul, satiated only by travel. Travel sets me free in a way that nothing else does. It sets me free from my anxiety, it sets me free from my depression, it sets me free from the everyday stresses and responsibilities that can really wear one down. The interesting dichotomy of this however, is my near obsessive need to plan out every "leisure" trip that I take. This includes weeks of research, budgeting, packing lists, and connecting with locals prior to my arrival. I have been extremely fortunate in my life reaching back as long as I can remember to have been given the gift of travel. My parents instilled in me a love of experiencing new places before I could even speak. By age five, I was writing hotel reviews in crayon and drawing "maps" of the routes we would take from our home to our destination. By 20, I was blessed enough to have visited 24 different countries and a good deal of the United States as well. And while I do love sharing these experiences with family and friends, there is definitely something special about taking a trip all on one's own. The travel time alone, whether a road trip or a flight, gives you the opportunity to attune yourself to what's on the road ahead and you do not have to answer to anyone or anything but your own sense of wanderlust. It's a beautiful thing, really.
By Jennifer Fox5 years ago in Wander
Get Me Out of Here...
This has been one hell of a year and it's still not over yet. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, Killer Hornets and every other crazy thing that's happened, I've had enough. I'm over 2020 and I'm over the United States. Don't get me wrong. I love my home, my life and my family and I love the US, but I need a break. I need a break from the negativity of life, the constant feelings of fear, of losing loved ones and on and on and on. What better way to escape the pain and agony of everyday life than to pack a bag of all your most important items and run away. But where would we go....
By Michelle Moore5 years ago in Wander
