Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Wander.
Live More Like a Local
When we travel, we often live as if we are alien to the landscape about us. There is good reason for this. We are often in a different time zone, immersed within a different culture, and surrounded by people, sights, and sounds that are novel to us. I find that I enjoy travel best when I have done my homework and spend my time in the land I am exploring behaving as much like a local as I can while being sure that I see the icon sights that have propelled me toward this destination. Holding ourselves outside of the culture we are visiting keeps us from fully enjoying the experience we have set out to have.
By Nalda Parker7 years ago in Wander
Find Friends That Road Trip
Growing up in Canada and in the rural parts of the Great White North, having a vehicle is important not only to get from one place to another but is needed if you ever want to see the country. Transit isn't always practical and trying to get out to the mountains without a ride can be a long and harrowing adventure all its' own. When I first began to drive my friends and I would pile into someones truck, usually mine, and just go out driving around the country side to go fishing, camping or just meet up with other friends further down the line. These trips instilled a very important lesson right away. If you want to see a place, you need to see it through your guides eyes on a road trip. Somebody who knows the area, the roads and the hidden gems that many of us don't have a chance to hear about on a typical wander.
By Steven Altman7 years ago in Wander
Better Than Beans and Rice
On September 20, 2017, hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. The storm caused widespread damage and it is estimated more than 4,600 people on the island died as a result from the catastrophe. In the pursing months, the United States struggled to respond to its territory, leaving the island without power and supplies for months.
By James Kopniske7 years ago in Wander
Why I Hate Backpackers
So far on my ten week adventure through South-East Asia, I have been on two backpacking trips, and plan to go on one more before catching a flight back to Canada. Now, don't get me wrong, I adore backpacking. I think that it is an amazing journey through self reflection in the sense of becoming more at peace with your thoughts, desires, and whether you really need all of the junk that you left at home. Backpacking is a way to minimize items that you travel with and discover what you really see as valuable and useful in your life. That being said, I still stand by my title. The idea of backpacking I love—the people who participate in it, I'm not the biggest fan of. Of course, I have met backpackers that I love and call my friends now, but I've also met some that I feel uncomfortable around and actually have completely ended a conversation on a few just out of pure frustration and despise.
By Bekah Boudreau7 years ago in Wander
A Fish out of Water
A Fish out of Water A fish out of water, can I get any more cliché than that? I am a 64-year-old man, who was born from a fifty-year-old man and a forty-year-old woman. My siblings are 17, 18 and 19 years older than me. Only Ida (19 years older than me and my rock or maybe I am hers) is still with us, who is six months older than my only surviving Auntie, who was the baby of 11 children my grandmother on my mother’s side had. So, my mother, was the oldest of 11 and the first to leave her home town of Littleton, NC at 18 years old and venture out to the Big Apple. She was born in 1914. My dad was born in 1904, somewhere in Ohio, to a beautiful white, blue eyed, blond woman and a black man who she married pre-1900’s. That wasn’t even legal in America at that time.
By Jerome Howard7 years ago in Wander
12 Halloween Traditions Around the World
Calling all Halloween lovers! October is a time for cooler weather, warm drinks, and of course Halloween! This spooky holiday is celebrated around the globe. And every nation that observes it has their own traditions and practices that you won't see anywhere else. After reading this you will want to add these countries to your Halloween bucket list.
By Rachel (Queen Wanderlust) 👑7 years ago in Wander
Why Paris is the City You'll Keep Coming Back To
Why are people so obsessed with Paris? If you're like me, you may have left Paris, but Paris never left you. There's a certain magic, charm, and fantasy that exists within the city boundaries of Paris that is unlike any other European city. Let's pinpoint a few reasons why Paris is so great, and why you'll keep coming back for more.
By Natalie Hayes7 years ago in Wander
Being a Female Solo-Traveller
The first time I travelled by myself (other than to my grandparents an hour away from home) I was 16, naive and ready to take on the world head-on. Of course I decided to choose the beautiful country of Thailand to travel to by myself, but I didn't take into account how much of a culture shock I was getting myself into. Of course I knew the food was going to be different, and the language was going to be foreign, but I never estimated how differently I would be treated in Thailand compared to my home country of Canada. Luckily, my travels were a part of a Rotary Youth exchange program so I had a local family that I lived with and my host-mom would travel with me absolutely everywhere. But, despite having a great inside to the world of Thai people, I was still hit with an extreme force of what I had gotten myself into. Constantly being stared at, men and women coming up to me and saying that I was "S̄wy" (meaning "beautiful" in Thai), swimming in the ocean and being swarmed with groups of people asking for a photo with me, and many other incidents that left me shaken and worried for what was to come next. Although all of these strange occurrences happened to me, I was surprised, but still felt a sense of security knowing that I had someone to travel with, and thought that it was great that I had these stories to bring back to Canada.
By Bekah Boudreau7 years ago in Wander
The Very Best Watercolour Travel Journal
If you know me, you might know that I love to travel. I have also always been a very artistic person. Something about drawing, doodling or painting just pulls you in. It slows you down, relaxes your mind, it's even recommended as a type of therapy. This particular hobby has always presented a challenge for me when I traveled because I like to pack light…very light. If I can manage to fit all the things in one backpack and live like that for months, I’ll do it. Unfortunately you can hardly fit several canvases and a bunch of paint tubes into a backpack. You’ve also got brushes, blending palettes, and your paint can pop and spill all over your clothes. I once got to my destination with some very colourful luggage…exhausting.
By Faline Kay Frost7 years ago in Wander
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
If you ever find yourself traveling through North Carolina there is a gem north of Charlotte and west of Greensboro known as Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem offers art, innovation, diversity, and the perfect balance of country/city living. Before I moved to Winston-Salem to follow a job opportunity I have never heard of it, after living here for a couple months I am shocked that this quaint but busy little city is not well-known. Winston-Salem offers history, nature trails, diverse food, lush scenery, and a dynamic downtown.
By Cynthia Cline7 years ago in Wander
7 Things You Can't Miss in Iceland. Top Story - October 2018.
Iceland is becoming increasingly popular for travelers to visit, boasting exciting things to do during every season of the year. With many options to see the wonders of Iceland, including stopover flights for shorter trips, you can easily enjoy the northern-most capital in the world. Here’s how to make the most of your trip to Iceland, no matter how many hours of daylight you have to accomplish it.
By Ashly Helfrich7 years ago in Wander
