By Kelsie Stelting As the class valedictorian, the oldest of four children, the daughter of a tractor mechanic and a sporadically employed waitress (who had me at seventeen), the long-time girlfriend of a boy who lived two hours away, and the victim of bullying from the principal’s daughter, I went to college with little financial … Continued
Gratitude from around the Globe Everywhere. As far as the eye can see; that’s where I’m grateful. It starts and ends at home. Having to watch the sun rise and set every single day in my home town without the promise of escape and adventure is like never having the chance to read a book … Continued
“How are you fine ladies today?”,You never hear phrases like that anymore,do you?Well,I do.In Paintsville,Kentucky we have good ‘ole southern manners and respect.We feed anyone who crosses our threshold,and we constantly practice our manners.I have moved all my life and discovered no place greater than Paintsville. There is no other place that I have found … Continued
Sitting in the backseat of a creaky taxi catapulting through the narrow streets of Tangier, Morocco, I was shocked to hear a language I understood. I was on the phone with Khadija, the taxi driver’s sister. “Mi hermano no entiende lo que usted necesita,” she said. My brother doesn’t know what you need. Five minutes … Continued
“It is giving that we learn to appreciate that what we already have is more than enough.” I felt a slight nudge on my back while we were having a post-breakfast conversation with my fellow friends from my Instagram travel group. We were headed to discover Hulugan Falls, a waterfall that recently became an internet … Continued
Walk to Olhão Portugal The rain has stopped so I don my shorts and head out to soak in the rays instead of the rain. It is less than a ten minute walk to my intended destination, where I will sit and wile away half an hour over a coffee and a pastel de nata. … Continued
I look at people on the busy Santiago streets. Some are smiling, others scowling, all trying to do their best. Each day brings different worries including how to prepare for days to come. I do not know what the scowling person’s worry is, but I’ve been there too. Some of these people are occupied with … Continued
On the surface, it may seem hard to believe I have something to be grateful about. I am homeless, living in my car. I’m freezing at night, and often wake up in the morning with ice covering the windows and condensation leaking through them. I’ve been kicked out of parking lots by security guards and … Continued
Every day, I travel somewhere new in my mind (sometimes with the help of the Internet), searching for a place I’ll feel at home, a place where I’m accepted and don’t feel as if I’m labeled “the weirdo” as soon as I open my mouth, or as soon as I wait too long to say … Continued
Something profound happened in-between trails on the south island of New Zealand. I had just completed backpacking the absolutely stunning length of the Abel Tasman route with my British outdoor buddy. We found ourselves having lunch in a small town while waiting for a transit bus en route to begin the Heaphy Track. Leisurely laughing while … Continued