solo travel
You've got somewhere to go, but no one to go with; solo travel is the nexus of independence and opportunity.
The Sweetness of Triviality
I love getting lost in the crowd. By getting lost I do not mean to lose the sense of directions, but the evaporation of self-consciousness and the inability to identify yourself as a separate entity from the crowd. You become only what you see: all that was left of me was my pair of eyes. There are many ways to it. It doesn’t have to be that you jostle your way through a hunger strike; neither does it have to be that you sit on the always-packed Piazza Navona, licking off gelato as different people pass you by.
By Emily Wong9 years ago in Wander
Girl at the Edge of Death
Fear turns you inside out. Like an invisible, open hand, it reaches out towards you from the unknown. We all have fears, and most of us hide them as far away as possible. Our fears are so defining and embedded in our character and our past, that it isn’t until we know someone well that we even dare to approach the question. No one ever asks about fears as an icebreaker, or during small talk (but why the hell not?).
By Carlota Maura9 years ago in Wander
Vegas Isn't The Ideal Family Place
Of course, don't get me wrong! Las Vegas is filled with opportunity, fortunes, and entertainment as far as the eyes can see. In the year of 2016, Las Vegas had OVER 42 Million visitors and made approx. over $11 Trillion off of visitors alone! But, the overall crime rate in Las Vegas is 37% higher than the national average. Also, anyone in Las Vegas has a 1 in 27 chance of becoming a victim of any crime. Not to mention, Nevada as a whole was officially ranked the lowest in education and Nevada students are proven to be less likely to succeed than any other state in the United States. Besides, this place is just barely any fun for anyone under 21 who obeys the laws. For a "young, wild, and free" teenager, who likes to enjoy their weekends, such limited options for fun eventually become, well... not so fun anymore after being a resident for many long years. As for the weather, that no one has any control over. Summers reach nearly 120° F during the day and most times only cool to and an average of 80° F during the nights. Now I don't know about you, but this doesn't scream "home sweet home" to me.
By Niy TheGemini9 years ago in Wander
Are You Ready To Be Committed?
Nestled in The foothills of a little town known as Weston, WV, there exists a place brimming with history. It's a place of sadness, madness, and the macabre. If you are a lover of history, this is a place to visit. If you are a lover of the paranormal like I am, this is a place to visit frequently. No two visits are ever the same because you learn more each time you visit. The money that is charged for these tours, goes directly into this historic landmark, and that is visible to you also. (Not sure about you, but I like seeing where my money is going.)
By Serena Futch9 years ago in Wander
Plant Based
I remember being in college and wondering why I should try to go vegetarian. Why were people vegetarian? At the time, I ate everything and I ate a lot of meat. I had grown up as an endurance athlete in the high mountains of Colorado and I felt the most important part of diet was getting outside and running up mountains. I loved the outdoors and even more so, I loved going uphill and the feeling I got at the top.
By Sound And The Messenger9 years ago in Wander
Learning to Love Vietnam
A while ago, I was living in Chiangmai, in Northern Thailand, while writing a book. Every three months, I had to leave Thailand to renew my visa, so I'd take a trip to one or other of the nearby countries, stay a week or two, then come back. These visa runs were special - a quick infusion of the new to break up my routine in Chiangmai
By Roger Wells9 years ago in Wander
Behind the Sky
One day a driver is headed home from a usual work day. Most drivers listen to music as they travel from point A to point B, but this driver often likes the sound of her own thoughts. Surrounded by the symphony of life, busy streets, high wind, and rubber tires against the concrete road, the driver also hears thoughts passing through her mind and then very subtly vanishing into the abyss until something finally stuck. It was an epiphany. This epiphany appeared as the driver stopped at a red light. Past the interior of the car, past the windshield, past the stop lights, the driver saw clouds, light, and space. What a beautiful sight...what a wonderful thought. To ponder on something greater than the existence of one life and focus on the beauty of the world is priceless. The driver became filled with excitement as she thought freely into the atmosphere. She was grateful for the life she had now, though it grew monotonous. But, experiencing the beauty past the interior of her life, past the windshield of her anatomy, and past the stoplights of her mind, forced her to appreciate the ability to think freely. To have thoughts about what lies behind the usual sky, as unusual as the sky can seem allowed her to express a kind of gratitude that was genuine.
By Jamiah Sandles9 years ago in Wander
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.
By Carlota Maura9 years ago in Wander
