Darkness surrounds me, and I am alone. Rain pounds down around me, and I know that my backpack is getting wet; I lost my pack cover a few weeks ago to a gust of wind. I feel a building sense of dread – will I find a place to sleep tonight? I had left my … Continued
Ask me a year ago for travel advice, and I would have said: I have all the answers. I know the perfect way. What is good for me is good for everyone. Ask me now, and I know better. All I know is that I’ve figured out what works for me. I was lost in … Continued
Why do I travel? I’m searching for those moments when I lose myself. When I stop thinking. When my brain shuts off. When I just notice what is around me. I’m zooming around on my rented motorbike, observing the mountains outside of Bac Ha, a tiny town in northern Vietnam. The rice paddies stretch around … Continued
You are 17 years old, and it’s the first time you’ve left the country. You are standing at the base of a 200 foot tall waterfall, staring up. You feel a strong mist caressing your face and arms. You feel the power in the sound, a constant pounding, a never-ending collapse and explosion of energy. … Continued
I walk in the treetops of the oldest rainforest in the world, balancing on wobbly bridges that sway with every step. I stare into the trees, looking back in time. If I squint a little and let my imagination take over, I can see majestic dinosaurs stomping under the canopy. Located next to a winding … Continued
With 8 dogs and 37 cats, Jeff’s house is not your typical couch surfing pad. We’d been couchsurfing in Australia and New Zealand, but this was only my second time trying it in Asia. I was a bit nervous because of the cultural differences, but wanted to try it anyway. It would be an adventure, … Continued
by Amberly Young I’ve been working in Melbourne for the last 3 months as a kitchen-hand, stuck in a tiny room with a grumpy Israeli cook. My boyfriend James has been walking door to door, passing out government funded energy saving products six days a week. It’s been rainy and cold and we are both … Continued
The heavy red curtain falls to the ground. It’s intermission, and the audience spills out of the Center Stage Theatre, buzzing from the musical energy of the show. A 9 year old in a little pink dress, her mullet haircut askew in a rainbow headband, struts confidently in front of her entire extended family, and … Continued