humanity
If nothing else, travel opens your eyes to the colorful quilt that is humankind.
Kindergarten Train
I’ll be on the train. It’ll be an underground train, like the subway, but at an airport. One door is both the exit and the entrance, with a few people trickling in and out. The train’s name will be Bart and my father will have warned me about him. The train will have pastel colours of gum, crafted into graffiti and messages in another language.
By Eve Ballard4 years ago in Wander
Pittsburgh2Paris
The abridged story of the journey of a girl from a small mill town to the big city. I am originally from North Braddock, Pennsylvania. An old mill town that has seen much better days. We lived with my grandmother, 2 uncles and an aunt in a 4 bedroom house on the hill. There were 7 of us there. My childhood was happy. Our family was a good family and there was always a lot of love and laughter. Still, it was a middle class life in Pittsburgh. We ate the basic meat and potatoes at dinner time. No one in our family drank alcohol except maybe a little around the holidays. The little bit of travel that we did do was by automobile and therefore quite limited. I always had my nose in some book, so of course I dreamed about all the exotic places that I would go, the different foods to try, and new people to meet that I was often reading about. I was sometimes accused of daydreaming. In hindsight I was a thinker. A planner. I am still both of those things. Children should not be shamed for being in their own world. It’s a blessing not a curse.
By Karolyn Denson Landrieux4 years ago in Wander
Thanksgiving in a War Zone
For the first time in twenty years, there will be no Thanksgiving celebration in Afghanistan. I have celebrated Thanksgiving serving overseas in South Korea, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan; however, the Thanksgiving celebration in Afghanistan in 2012 was the most memorable due to its impact on the international coalition.
By Chad Pillai4 years ago in Wander
The Wonders of Living in a Foreign Tongue
As I sat in the Parisian metro, I tuned out the world around me without having plugging in my headphones. Tired from my busy day at university, I am once again reminded of one of my favourite parts about living in Paris, about living in France. Unless I'm actively listening, my French isn't fluent enough to understand a random conversation. I get the opportunity to tune out.
By Leona Françoise Caanen4 years ago in Wander
Day out in Stratford-Upon-Avon
My Aunt and I wanted to go out for the day and we both decided we wanted to go to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Banbury has good transport links to many great places like London, Oxford,Birmingham, Warwick, Manchester and Newcastle. Most travelling to some of the major cities only need one bus or train journey and changing trains isn’t needed.
By Chloe Gilholy4 years ago in Wander
Netherlands
Amsterdam - Almere The airport is exactly what I expected, - classic colors, odd white toilets, and lots of lights. The customs officers didn’t even glance my way as I walked through, and immigration officer simply smiled at me and stamped my passport with a “enjoy your stay in Netherlands,” and her smile matched her accent - long and carefully pronounced.
By Kevin I. Barkman4 years ago in Wander
Nicholas Salzano Sharing Traveling to Jamaica is An Awe-Inspiring Experience
Nicholas Salzano, a famous traveller from New Jersey, has penned down his travelling experience to Jamaica. Jamaica is known for its eminent magnificence, brilliant seashores, emerald mountains, turquoise oceans, falls, coral reefs, rain-forests, and streams.
By Nicholas Salzano4 years ago in Wander
One Night in Bangkok
One night in Bangkok, Thailand I woke up from a black-out sitting on a chair in a small, white room on the side of a hustling street. A businessman was rambling away to two police officers, pointing at me, and throwing his hands up in the air. The officers were alternating between listening to him and looking at me, probably wondering to themselves, “This guy?”
By Cody Ferguson4 years ago in Wander
Life Lessons from Traveling as a Poor Single Mother
Hi, I'm Jenna. I'm a single mother of a beautiful and wild daughter, and two amazing and outgoing young boys. Before my youngest(L), I traveled with my daughter, E and my now middle child --- (we'll call him, T). I didn't start with an intention of travel. You see, E's father was abusive. He sexually assaulted me, and said very inappropriate things in regards to my daughter, he punched a hole in the door, it was not a fun time but I was young and scared. After I had T, I came to the realization that with a running vehicle, we didn't have to stay stuck. I didn't have to stay in my hometown that, like any other young person, I wanted to leave.
By Jenna Rae Mueller 4 years ago in Wander
Cabo San Lucas Part 1
The first time I went to Cabo San Lucas was back in May of 2019. I went with three other friends. We went through the process of buying our plane tickets, secured ourselves and Airbnb and rented a vehicle to get around in. Everything was smooth sailing for our flight to Cabo. We saved money flying out of Tijuana which was about a two hour drive from Los Angeles, Ca. To enhance the experience a bit more we chose to stay in Tijuana the night before our flight. I found a hotel casino which I thought was a great way to jumpstart the vacation. Hotel Pueblo Amigo Plaza and Casino was perfect for all our needs. It accommodated our late night arrival, as we were traveling from L.A. and we elected to wait till the major traffic died down a bit. Check in was a breeze, front desk was very helpful and though we all speak English and Spanish the person checking us in spoke both languages. Our stay came with free breakfast in the morning which would be a big help getting something in our stomachs before our flights. Since we checked in late at night most of the restaurants were already closed but as luck would have it a taco stand right across the street from the hotel was still open, therefore the four of us practically ran out there. The food at the stand was excellent, between us we had tacos, burritos and tortas. there are plenty more items on the menu. The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is welcoming. Once done with our meal we went back to our hotel and did some gambling at the slot machines inside the hotel. The next day we all got up and discovered the hotel provided a ride to the airport which was not too far away. Going through the Tijuana Airport was quick and easy with no issues. The flight itself was on time and very quick, just under two hours. When you arrive in Cabo and do not need to go to baggage claim, you are immediately ushered outside. Since we had rented a car we looked around a bit till we found our rental. Once we found the spot we headed over there and began the process. I had rented through Princeline and had done it all online. Little did I know it was filled with hidden fees that far surpassed what I had paid on the site already. It took a while but we got through the process of getting a car. After the car was finally in our procession we drove out to our Airbnb. The drive from the airport to town was about forty minutes and our rental was close to the downtown area without begging right on top of it, The entire process of getting into the house and interacting with the owner was completely simple and easy without drama or hidden fees like the car rental. The home was wonderful and spacious and best of all we were practically alone. The home was a expanding development with several houses both built and finished and the rest were in the process of being finished. At the gate of the housing community there was a gate you need to go past to security guards and show proper identification. Needless to say I for one felt extremely safe. There was both a Walmart and a Costco and we shopped for all our food and drinks and went home to pack our frig and explore. Our group visited a few beaches and went into town often and experienced the freedom to go anywhere we wanted. The experience the group and myself had was fantastic and the memories we took home with us will last our lifetime. Having those fond memories in place from our time there made it all the easier to say yes to going back when the opportunity presented itself nearly a year later, I eagerly agreed. The dates were chosen, the hotel deposit was put down as well and we were well on our way. For the second time out there my partner and I elected to try something different from the first time. We agreed to stay at an all inclusive location and find a spot in the center of town. Learning from the first time, an all inclusive hotel would remove the extra trips to the store to pick up and then have to cook food. Choosing a spot in the middle of town was to not have to deal with the whole car rental fiasco from the time before. We also learned from the first time that we had spent much more time downtown, it would be a waste of money renting and dealing with a car company if in getting the hotel in the center of town would eliminate even needing the car to begin with. The added bonus was also not having to select a designated driver each time we went out, this way we could be in the center of all the action. It took searching but we found out which resorts offer transportation and which do not. Settling in on the Marina Fiesta Resort Hotel and Spa. All the items on our list were being quickly checked off. The group was mentally pace ready to go, then COVID happened and the world shut down.
By Las Matamaridos4 years ago in Wander
Nature Speaks: The Beauty Of The Oregon Coast
It was a Friday afternoon when I drove down to Gearhart from Astoria. It was a gorgeous sunny day after a whole week of rain and gloomy gray skies. Rain happens here often. I was enjoying the drive and the flush green surroundings. The sun was just hitting the trees and the Columbia river in the perfect angle.
By Gabriella Korosi4 years ago in Wander
