Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Wander.

Memories of a Lost Child
A great memory from my childhood is a trip with my grandparents. We went through the national parks that particular summer, I saw a deer very up close. I Remember my grandfather talking shit about a parent allowing their child to get too close. It was a different side of my grandfather I hadn't previously seen. The memory that has been a staple for me of the good wholesome rare moments from my childhood. While driving all around California we drove by what was in my opinion a theme park created by nature. The information board described it as a place where it seemed the native Americans had gathered around. I don't remember what they may have used it for but I do remember what it was being used for at the time. You see it was a beautiful stream we could see groom the road that was spotted with children all along the banks. It was all beautiful red Rock with water rushing down being channeled by natural grooves rubbed smooth by years of water rushing along the solid Rock. It also appeared to a child's eye to be a magical place made by nature for children. The natural grooves made perfect chutes for people to slide down with natural twists and turns. The water was only about half a foot deep which was perfect for my 8 year old self to be pushed along the slides and have the water cushion me along any turns. Which ended with the water spreading out to barely cover the rocks at the end of the slide which caused the pressure of the water pushing you along to dissipate. I could standup and run back to the top and do it all over again. It was amazing and my little social self made friends with all the families along the stream. I just felt like this summer vacation find was so beautiful and exciting. I loved the smell of the pine trees and the perfect weather. It was warm enough that the chilly water was refreshing and just added to the sensations of the whole experience. The mountains have continued to be a way for me to remember the many summer vacations my grandparents would take me along for. It was the break from my reality that I needed for my child brain to relax and forget the reality of my nightmare childhood. While I would run through forest trails or sit in Sunny grassy meadows it was like these locations where completely different worlds. Nothing from my daily life existed. I didn't have baby brothers to take care of in these places. At 8 the constant responsibility of two infants my parents had was overwhelming and problematic. I worried about them all the time. I felt like they where my children and when I was home they really where on so many levels. My mother was a submissive alcoholic who had very little in the way of the skills needed to care for anyone but herself. More days then not she was passed out after a sloppy day of drinking. To be honest when she was asleep or unconscious things where easier for me then when she was awake. When she was awake there where numerous dangers she posed to my brothers. She chained smoked and while drunk was known to drop cigarettes or have the lit end accidently touch the tender skin of my brothers arms. It always seemed to be their arms as they would grab for anything. Of course their where times when she would drop them or pull their little arms so hard I feared they would break as she would twist and pull to get the arms through the little baby shirts. I would stand by and constantly critique my mother's attempts at nurturing. I was like a nervous hen watching a coyote sniff her baby chicks. Usually the nights would end with me telling my mother to go to bed if she hadn't drunk herself into what I thought was a nightly coma. It was strange that at 8 when my mother had two children I realized she was not normal and that it wasn't a natural or accepted situation to be telling my mother what to do. I felt like I was the adult in the situation and that my mother was my cross to bear.
By Neecee B6 years ago in Wander
Wet Dreams, Cause the Dry Ones Seldom Come
Do you ever miss someone so much, and feel the need to escape reality because of it? At least for a while anyway. Sometimes mid day dream, its not even the person that makes you drift off, its the places they remind you of. For me, when I think of my mum who passes away, I think of what her presence, about what her personality reminds me of: the amazon jungles.
By Kelisha Daley6 years ago in Wander
Road Trip Dreaming
As we are all crammed inside with an uncertain future, it can be difficult to think about future trips. When I first got quarantined, the first couple weeks seemed like lifetimes. Then I began to find the silver linings in the current situation.
By Corey Lynch6 years ago in Wander
Costa Brava
It’s early morning. The ocean air floats through an open window. The quaint fisherman town of Costa Brava waits outside. Her lover still sleeps under the white sheets. She feels a sudden surge of inspiration and leaps to her feet. An empty bottle of Rioja sits atop the bistro table on the terrace. She slides it aside and sets up her canvas to paint. The first difficult decision of the day; what to paint? The scene outside her window offers too much for the eye. Should she paint the terra-cotta roof tiles that roll to the sea, the jagged cliffs, the woman across the street fixing her ebony hair? The beauty is boundless and consuming. Staring out at the golden, medieval fortress that embraces the sea, she grabs a brush soaking inside a wine glass. She pulls every glimmer of light out of the water and pours it onto the canvas. A pair of gulls glide across the lingering clouds. She watches, then follows on the heels of freedom and strolls the cobblestone streets. Finding the right fit to dine alfresco is not an easy choice. The archaic stone walls of ‘Por Babor’ beckon her with the promise of inspiration. However she had another kind of inspiration in mind that’s only achieved through the tongue. The burgundy awning brandishing the name ‘El Galeo’ hovers over a few silver tables covered by white cloth. She stops, comforting herself with spontaneity, and sits. In the absence of distraction, lost memories and inspirations come rushing in. She welcomes a glass of Cava and watches the happy people walk by. The effervescent language rolls around her as easily as the bubbles in here drink. The warm breeze, alive with the scent of tapas, catches her hair. She inhales deeply like an asthmatic would their inhaler. A passing waiter brushes her shoulder and she smiles. She’s carefree and finding that look in her eyes. A look that’s absorbed in the luxury of absentmindedness. This is bliss.
By Elyssa White6 years ago in Wander
Take me home.
London, England, home. Home under a cloudy blanket. It'd be nice to be back there. At home with my family. I'm doing well during this time, but if there was a destination to be at, then it'd be there. I'm here in Toronto, Canada. And that's not a bad thing at all. It's just a fact, and now that I'm here and I'm actually happy, relaxed and enjoying it here in the six. I'm just staying with a friend's family, and they've taken me as one of their own, and I am and will be forever grateful. Thank you, Chris and your brilliant family.
By Peter Mason6 years ago in Wander
She Left Her Heart In Colorado. Top Story - May 2020.
She's ready. She's so unbelievably ready... So ready, in fact, that she's not even phased by the ungodly time of a 4am departure.
By Heather Lee6 years ago in Wander
Portal To Paradise
Back in 2016 I took an anniversary vacation trip to Oahu Hawaii. It was a mind shattering experience and I was awakened to the true beauty of nature for the first time. I had always wanted to go there so being in Hawaii was already dream come true. When we arrived at our hotel room I froze up and just stared out into the open ocean. I was mesmerized by colors of the world around us.
By Alex F6 years ago in Wander
Madagascar beckoning...
Our root is our power. Remembering to go back to places that anchor us is medicine for the soul. Madagascar represents that for me. Acknowledging this part of my identity gives meaning to the many layers of my being, which I have for a long while left dormant and even forgotten about. Luckily through my inward journey, I discovered the POWER that lays in acknowledging all parts of oneself without minimizing any. Wholeness comes from that acknowledgment and by giving permission to self to embark on that voyage there is so much self-discovery that takes place and I feel that it would be a shame not to experience that in the name of “comfort” and remain in known territories.
By Adama N. Kouyaté 6 years ago in Wander
Time to Rekindle the Tourism Fire
I want the world to be normal again. But a new normal. I want to be able to live a happy life, and for others to do so too.
By Stephen Scott6 years ago in Wander
Journey to the Arctic circle centre
I have always been a wanderer, searching for new places and new experiences to make my life more colourful. Since having my son, I've wished to show him the world and its wonders.
By J . Turner6 years ago in Wander
To the End of the World
During a pandemic, it’s easy to drown in my sorrow. I’ve dealt with depression and anxiety for the past twenty years, which makes the limited light fade to black rather quickly and heavily.
By Andrea Jardine6 years ago in Wander
Travelling in time of COVID 19
If you are like me you probably want to open that door of yours,book a ticket and go to the mountains away from all the worries that the world is currently engulfed in, I wont even mind going to Mars right now just away from this Covid 19 disaster(you are free to call me an escapist).
By Dibya Prakash6 years ago in Wander