stow

Spring 2013

India’s Golden Temple

Enter the sacred Sikh shrine, p. 20

Also in this issue

NYC s park 30 feet in the air, p. 24 Red rock adventures in Sedona, AZ, p. 30 50% travel discounts with group coupons, p. 79

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On the cover: Sikh pilgrims gather to celebrate at the Golden Temple in India.

80 83 84

Happenings: Shamrockin’ in the USA Escapades: Hot Springs and Bathhouses Staff Essay: A Doppelgänger Story Parting Shot

4 ▶ spring 2013

12 13 14 16

My Horse, Your Hat, and Our “Old Kentucky Home” Twain’s Home on the Mississippi The Disneyland You Thought You Knew More to Morocco

20 24 30

Dawn to Dusk at the Golden Temple Railway to the Past: NYC’s High Line Park High on Sedona

Photo by Bethany Davis

8

Editor’s Note: “Only Connect . . .”

Getaway

7

Features

Photo by Luciano Mortula

In the High Line park in New York City, you can walk the tracks of a historic railway 30 feet above the city streets.

42

Culture

44 45 46

50

Lavender: Four Corners of the Kitchen Meet the Meat: Argentine Asado Curious Cuisine: Enjoy with Caution Say What? That Wasn’t in My Travel Dictionary Celebrating Serbian Slava

52 53 54 56 58 60

67 70 72

Suitcase to Briefcase: Greg Kennedy, Airline Executive On the Ocean Road Urban Hiking Surfing on Land Serve More for Less Tales from the Trip Photo Contest Winners

Insider

40

66

Ode to Joy: A Well-Traveled Tune

Field Notes

39

73 74 76 77 79

Step by Step: Travel Pedometers Selecting Your Luggage Just Plane Yoga Don’t Worry, Be Healthy Vegging Out of Town Travel Journaling Highway Honeymooning Ethnic Tourism Get Your Group-On

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 5

Brennan Jernigan

Kelsey Berteaux

Nyssa Silvester

Lindsey Encinas

Amber Galli

Kathryn Brinton

Managing Editor

Assistant Managing Editor

Assistant Managing Editor

Copyeditor

Copyeditor

Senior Editor

Tonya Johnson

Michael Wyatt

Emily Bell

Megan Gebhard

Ryne Steinacker

Dana Kendall

Senior Editor

Senior Editor

Associate Editor

Associate Editor

Associate Editor

Art Director

Web Team: *Emily Bell, Kathryn Brinton, Tonya Johnson, Ryne Steinacker Social Media Team: Kelsey Berteaux, Lindsey Encinas, Megan Gebhard, Tara Walker, *Michael Wyatt Stephanie Richardson

Cameron Smithson

Angelique Bodine

Assistant Art Director

Assistant Art Director

Senior Designer

Tara Walker

Senior Designer

Business Team: Angelique Bodine, Amber Galli, *Nyssa Silvester, Cameron Smithson *team leader All staff members contributed to planning, writing, editing, designing, and advertising

Editor in Chief

Jordan Carroll

Advisor

© 2013 Marvin K. Gardner 4045 JFSB, Brigham Young University Provo, Utah 84602 Printed by Brigham Young University Press

Christina Johnson

Advisor

Eugene Tapahe

Advisor

Stowaway is produced as a project for English Language 430R, Editing for Publication, the capstone class of the editing minor at Brigham Young University.

The views expressed in this publication are solely the views of the authors and do not represent the views or opinions of BYU. Stowaway takes inspiration from the words of Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Photography by Rachel Haslam

Marvin K. Gardner

editor s note

“Only Connect . . .”

From top: photography by Joe Jernigan and Rachel Haslam

Let’s play word association. You say, “Akron, Ohio.” I say, “Swenson’s Drive-In.” You say, “Brooklyn.” I say, “Grimaldi’s pizza.”

You say, “Budapest.” I say, “Chicken paprikash.”

You say, “Cornville, Arizona.” (Okay, let’s be honest—you’re never going to say that, but let’s pretend.) And I’ll say, “Vince’s Little Star. Order the baked ziti.”

As you can tell, I plan trips around food. A dish I can’t savor at home is a reminder that I’m somewhere I might not be again.

For much the same reason, I also plan trips around people. When family friends Pat and Al Peterson welcome me into their living room and kitchen in New Jersey, I remember that I don’t get to take these people home.

Travel can have its drawbacks, however. Often the stress of seeing all that we should see leaves us tired and irritable, apathetic to foods we might taste or people whose presence we might enjoy. In our rush to get Austria, Italy, France, Hungary, and even tiny Liechtenstein under our belts, we don’t notice how exhausted our father is, driving our much-toolarge rental van down narrow European streets and across national borders.

But then there are moments when we park the van and we aren’t at another tourist site. Instead, we’re at a small Lutheran chapel in a tiny Hungarian village, approaching a pastor who speaks only a lick of English. We show him a family pedigree chart with names like Szabados and Kavicski. He gets excited and points to our mother, then to a woman working nearby. He looks at us meaningfully and points again, trying so hard to signal the connection. “Family,” he says.

On the title page of E. M. Forster’s classic Howards End are the words “Only connect . . .” I want to remember that phrase when I travel. Yes, places are rocks and flowers and cathedrals and meadows and streets—but they’re also aromas and friends, flavors and family. If I want to remember a place, all I’ve got to do is eat something I can’t get anywhere else and share it with someone I can’t take home. All I’ve got to do is connect.

And so this issue of Stowaway is all about connecting. I extend to you my hope that we won’t merely give you a list of things to check off your worldwide bucket list. Instead, I hope these pages will take you places and show you ways to connect— whether through asado, Beethoven’s Ninth, red rock mountain biking, or highway honeymooning.

Don’t be surprised if you find my copy of Stowaway smeared with ketchup from Swenson’s Drive-In in Ohio or lying on the coffee table in my friend Jean Bernardy’s home in Maine. Just know I was connecting.

Brennan Jernigan, Managing Editor

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 7

happenings

a

Shamrockin’ in the USA On St. Patrick’s Day this year, do more than just wear a green shirt. Even though you might not have a single drop of Irish blood in you, Irish descendants in the good old USA would love to celebrate with you. You may have attended one of the huge St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in New York City or Boston, but you might have missed these other Saint Patty’s Day treasures.

a a

Annual Smilin Irishman Contest

San Diego, California San Diego holds a contest a couple of months before St. Patrick’s Day to select the year’s “Smilin’ Irishman” parade master. To win the title, a man has to prove his Irish blood by outcompeting the other lads in several challenges, such as identifying different kinds of Irish whiskey (without peeking) and telling a good Irish joke.

The Irishman who wins rides in the big St. Patrick’s Day parade, and then presides over any traditional Irish event that year. He also wins a hat and a fashionable Blackthorn walking stick, the kind used by many true Irish gentlemen. ▶

www.stpatsparade.org

8 ▶ spring 2013

Mulleady s Irish Pub and Restaurant Seattle, Washington

For the more sophisticated crowd, a night at Mulleady’s is a perfect St. Patrick’s Day fit. To accommodate those who are not interested in a rowdy celebration, the restaurant is serving a fancy six-course meal. Their famous house-cured corned beef and cider-braised cabbage will be included in the meal, and the fine cuisine comes with live Irish music. Show up early or make reservations—the night will be a popular one. ▶

www.mulleadyspub.com

Fun Family Festivity Dublin, Texas

It’s safe to expect a lot from Dublin, Texas, the Irish capital of the Lone Star State—and residents certainly go the extra mile to make St. Patrick’s Day fun for families. The event includes Celtic Highland Games, a dog show, a road rally, a parade, several contests, petting zoos, a roller derby, laser tag, carnival rides, and much more. Lucky for you, these Texans are more than happy to share their Irish festivities with you! ▶

www.dublintxchamber.com /St_Patricks_Day.html

Your Own Luck o the Irish If you can t travel elsewhere this Saint Patrick s Day but you still want to join in the celebration, start some of your own traditions. No time for green eggs or pancakes? Pour yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms

a

with green milk. Fill your friends and family s shoes with gold̶or goodies.

Hunt for four-leaf clovers and press them in a book. Eat a meal of corned beef and cabbage (see link below for a recipe). Learn an Irish drinking song.

Or even search for the Irish Traditional playlist on Pandora.com. Need some Irish attire? Find an old T-shirt and write in green marker, Kiss me, I m not Irish.

Whatever you choose to do, you don t have to travel to have the Saint Patty s holiday spirit! ▶

www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/ corned_beef_and_cabbage

a The Green Chicago River Chicago, Illinois

Considering dyeing your hair green for Saint Patty’s this year? Every year, a different kind of dyeing goes on: the local Chicago Plumbers Union sponsors dyeing the entire Chicago River green. Curious how they get the river such a brilliant green color without harming the environment? The dye is a specially formulated vegetable-based dye that doesn’t damage the river or its occupants. So if you have been extra conscious about your recycling this year, reward yourself and “go green” with Chicago. ▶

www.greenchicagoriver.com

St. Patrick s Day Parade Savannah, Georgia

Some would guess that the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade occurs in Ireland, but last year Savannah, Georgia, proclaimed its parade one of the biggest in the world. According to WSAV, a news station in Savannah, there were hundreds of thousands of people at the event. The event is formally introduced with a mass at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. Since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, the parade will be held on March 16 to draw a large Saturday crowd. ▶

www.savannahsaint patricksday.com

—Amber Galli www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 9

Whitney Wood

Miss Idaho 2012 and BYU Independent Study Student

Before I heard about BYU Independent Study, I worried that serving as Miss Idaho for a year would put me behind in school because I had to leave BYU Campus and I couldn’t go to school full time. I was surprised and impressed by the low tuition and the huge selection of university courses for students. Even though my life is really busy, I can still work on my classes anywhere, anytime I have a break. BYU Independent Study truly helps me do it all!

Getaway

Hop on the Monorail and zoom through a week at Disneyland in a way that you ve never seen it before.

12

Away for a Weekend

14

Away for a Week

16

Away for a While

Catch the Triple Crown at the Kentucky Derby, or tour the literary hotspot of Mark Twain’s hometown in Missouri.

Learn Disneyland secrets that will make your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth even happier.

Photo by Loren Javier

Go beyond Casablanca and visit Morocco’s winding side streets, five-star hotels, and bustling markets.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 11

away for a weekend

Your Hat, My Horse, and

Our Old Kentucky Home

The Hats

The Kentucky Derby is notorious for its showcase of hats. Derby hats come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, but they are all part of the pageantry and tradition. “You rarely see anyone without a hat or fascinator,” says Chelsea Schroeder, a Louisville resident. “A fascinator is anything from a few feathers to a hat attached to a headband.” Men generally wear twenties-style hats and bow ties, while women wear hats as eccentric or demure as those who sport them.

12 ▶ spring 2013

The Tickets

Churchill Downs is legendary for Millionaire’s Row, the Derby’s premiere seating. It is the place to see and be seen. Tickets run about $5,000. But if you aren’t a millionaire, don’t fear! There’s still a place for you at the Derby. With a $50 general admission ticket, you can join 80,000 other spectators on Derby Sunday anywhere else at Churchill Downs.

The Paddock offers a traditional experience with other Derby-goers in sundresses, suits, and Derby hats. The Infield, the middle of the track, has a more raucous, Mardi Gras–like vibe and generally seats younger attendants with a much more casual dress code—usually just jeans and T-shirts.

The Anthem

When the racehorses and their jockeys finally step onto the track, the University of Louisville Marching Band strikes up the melody to “My Old Kentucky Home,” the state song of Kentucky. “In the Paddock, everyone puts their arms around each

other and sings,” says Schroeder. Be sure to brush up on the lyrics beforehand so you can take part in this Derby tradition.

The Horses

The actual Kentucky Derby race is known as the “most exciting two minutes in sports.” It’s even more exciting if you pick a favorite horse to win. There are plenty of statistics you could study to help you choose, but according to Schroeder, you should just go with your gut and “go by the name.” There are plenty of bizarre horse names to choose from. For example, the 2012 winner was named “I’ll Have Another.”

Louisville’s Kentucky Derby is a bucket-list event that will expose you to a fun culture with plenty of traditions. Study up and throw yourself in. You’re sure to be a winner if you do. ▶

www.kentuckyderby.com

▶

www.churchilldowns.com

—Lindsey Encinas

Illustration by Eric Molinsky

Don a derby hat and head for Churchill Downs, the historic horseracing venue outside Louisville, Kentucky, that hosts the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the US Triple Crown horse races, and tradition is at its core. It always takes place on the first Sunday in May, and it includes only three-year-old thoroughbred horses. But there’s more to these traditions than just the horses.

Here are a few traditions to look for when you visit the 139th annual Kentucky Derby this year.

away for a weekend

Twain s Home on the Mississippi

Hannibal, Missouri Some Twain Inspirations Ask a local where to find these lesser-known sites: ▶

Old Cemetery from The

Adventures of Tom Sawyer, where Huckleberry Finn

In Garth Mansion, now a bed and breakfast, you can stay in the Samuel Clemens room.

Standing beside a lighthouse atop a hill overlooking the Mississippi River, you may simply be basking in the beauty. But according to Henry Sweets, curator of the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, you are actually standing in one of the very places Twain describes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In fact, most places in Hannibal have a connection to Twain or his novels.

Though Twain traveled the world, the location that served as his inspiration was his simple Mississippi River hometown of Hannibal.

Photo by Julie Rolsen

The Hometown

Twain based his novels of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, at least in part, on his own childhood. Many of the characters, including Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn, were based on his childhood playmates. The homes of these friends, along with Twain’s own boyhood home, have been restored for the pleasure of Twain fans. Nearby is the Mark Twain Museum, where nearly any Twain-related curiosity can be quenched by scouring through many of Twain’s personal artifacts and experiencing interactive exhibits.

John Garth, one of Twain’s childhood friends, owned a mansion just

takes a dead cat to get rid of warts

outside Hannibal where Twain would stay during his many travels. Garth Woodside Mansion is now the finest bed and breakfast in Hannibal and boasts a room where Twain himself slept on visits. The room is known as Samuel Clemens—Twain’s real name.

▶

Lover s Leap from Life

on the Mississippi,

named for a local legend involving a Romeo-andJuliet-type story ▶

Cardiff Hill from The Adven-

▶

www.marktwainmuseum.org

tures of Tom Sawyer, where

▶

www.garthmansion.com

the boys in town would play Robin Hood

The Cave

Legends and tall tales about what is now known as Mark Twain Cave were common when Twain was a boy.

One such tale was of a doctor who placed his recently deceased daughter into a coffin in one of the caverns, hoping the cave would preserve her body. Children told fibs about reaching into a crevice to pull out her head and dared others to do the same.

Though today the chances of finding a dead body are slim, the adventuresome lure of the cave still exists. It’s no wonder Twain mentioned this cave in five of his novels.

Thousands of adventurers have left their legacies by carving their names on the endless walls of the caverns. You can have fun reading all the signatures on your tour. Be sure to bring a light sweater: the cave keeps a constant temperature of about 52° F. ▶

The Riverboat

Some of the greatest stories Twain tells are of travelers on the Mississippi River, like Huckleberry Finn and the slave Jim. Twain loved the river and even took a hand at becoming a riverboat pilot. The Mark Twain Riverboat now entertains passengers with legends and histories about the great river. If you board at dinnertime, you can enjoy live music, dancing, and fine dining. ▶

www.marktwainriverboat.com

—Angelique Bodine

www.marktwaincave.com

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 13

Disneyland

away for a week

The

You Thought You Knew

Did you know that the cannons in Disneyland’s Town Square are actual cannons used by the French Army in the nineteenth century? Or that the organ in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion is the same organ that was in the 1954 version of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea? You may think that you’ve experienced Disneyland before. After all, you’ve ridden the teacups and taken pictures with all your favorite Disney characters—what more is there to discover? Let’s not be too hasty! “The happiest place on earth” holds secrets unbeknownst to even the most fanatical Disney enthusiast: hidden Mickeys, architectural illusions, and historical memorabilia, just to name a few. Discovering some of these secrets will captivate you in a childlike trance once again.

Tricking Your Senses

Walt Disney used a lot of care and creativity when designing Disneyland.

He made sure it was a place where adults could feel like kids and kids could feel like adults. Even the tiniest details were considered. For example, he refused to have 90-degree angles on the sidewalks; he thought they would be too harsh, so instead he made sure all of the curbs were curved.

Disney also implemented a lot of forced perspective. You may notice that Main Street, U.S.A., seems longer going toward the castle than it does leaving. That is because the street

14 ▶ spring 2013

narrows slightly, giving the illusion of a longer street as you enter and a shorter street as your tired legs walk you out at the end of the day.

Forced perspective is also used on the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Larger trees are planted at the bottom of the Matterhorn, and they slowly decrease as they go up. The trees at the top are a mere two feet tall, though they appear much bigger. And the lower elements of the castle are larger than those at the top, giving an illusion of a building much taller than 77 feet.

The Disney design team also did their homework when they created what they call Noseeum (no-see-um) Green. This is the color they paint things they don’t want you to notice. For example, the door to Club 33 is

painted Noseeum Green to detract attention from its entrance.

(Club 33 is an elite Disney club with a three-year waiting list, a $25,000 initiation fee, and yearly dues of $10,000.)

As you try to find hidden doors and admire the architectural genius of Disneyland, you

Riddles of the Rides

As you and your friends take the plunge down Splash Mountain or have a whirl in a Mad Tea Party teacup, remember that there is more to Disney’s classic rides than meets the eye.

The Haunted Mansion is actually located outside of Disneyland Park. The room you first enter is an elevator that takes you underground, where you then walk under the railroad tracks outside of the park to begin the ride.

If you ask the captain of the Mark Twain Steamboat to let you steer the boat, he will let you man the helm and then give you a free souvenir certificate.

Actresses dressed as mermaids used to sit on the rocks in

the middle of the water where the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage now stands. Disneyland stopped this because too many men were jumping into the water and swimming out to meet the “mermaids.”

Each horse on King Arthur’s Carousel has a name. The lead horse with the gold bells on its harness is named Jingles and was Walt Disney’s favorite. You can get the complete horse roster at City Hall, located at the beginning of Main Street, U.S.A. Snow White’s Scary Adventures was originally just Snow White’s Adventures. “Scary” was added later to inform guests of the ride’s frightening nature.

Within the top of the Matterhorn is a basketball court where Matterhorn hikers can shoot hoops after reaching the top.

Whatever your age, Disneyland holds the keys to free your inner child and make magic a reality. Now you can enter its gates and discover anew the Disneyland you thought you knew. ▶

www.disneyland.com

More

Disney Magic K More than 200 cats roam

Disneyland Park at night, helping keep down the rodent population.

K The Market House on Main

Street, U.S.A., is the only place you can get free coffee refills.

K From the rooftop pool at

Paradise Pier Hotel, you can watch the fireworks show with audio.

K Sleeping Beauty s Castle has

a drawbridge that has been lowered only twice: on opening day and when Fantasyland was remodeled in 1983.

K You can ride in the front of

both the Monorail and the train. All you have to do is ask.

—Cameron Smithson

K All cast members, including

the horses, wear nametags.

K At the New Orleans Train

Station, you will hear a tapping sound: it s a Morse code version of Walt Disney s opening day remarks.

K The left track of the Matter-

horn is faster than the right.

K Whenever Walt Disney was

in his apartment above the firehouse, he left a light burning so guests knew he was in. Since his death, a light has remained in his window to let guests know that his spirit is always there.

Photo by Craig Conley

will smell wafts of fresh-baked waffle cones, popcorn, and candy. This is no coincidence. Disney uses a Smellitzer, a machine that blows delectable scents through the vents of Disney stores. Disney knows that guests are more likely to buy something they smell rather than something they simply see.

Check out our website for more Disneyland trivia.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 15

more to

morocco

away for a while

Opposite page: photo by Christopher Rose; this page: photo by Liam Moloney

hen a couple from New York went on a camel ride through the Sahara Desert of Morocco, a sandstorm hit. They couldn’t see where they were going, and during the night their tents were completely flattened by the wind. This wasn’t exactly the trip they had dreamed of.

As the couple awoke in the morning, covered in sand, their tour guide, Mark Willenbrock, expected them to say, “Get me out of here and to a five-star hotel—now.”

But no. Instead, the man responded in amazement, “I never, ever thought I’d get to witness a real sandstorm!”

These tourists could have easily found a luxurious place to stay: Morocco has recently received media coverage about its high-end hotels.

The Royal Mansour in Marrakech, for example, has been proclaimed one of the most expensive hotels in the world at $2,060 a night. Most of us probably can’t afford such luxury, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss the chance to go to Morocco. While the rich stay in their $2,060-a-night hotel, the rest of us can get a cheap room elsewhere and check out some incredible destinations.

Known more for its bustling marketplaces than for its luxury destinations, Morocco nonetheless offers a striking mix of the regal, the historic, and the everyday. That’s part of the charm of the place: it’s accessible for everyday tourists as well as for those who are more affluent. Visitors can take their pick of the awe-inspiring and the ordinary—which, for the foreigner, is not very ordinary. In fact, all of Morocco’s main cities, including Casablanca and Tangier, contain two distinct sections: the modern city, and the old town or medina. Going from one to the other, travelers can freely explore both the modernized and the historic.

In the city of Marrakech, for example, you can tour the Bahia Palace with its extensive gardens as well as the Koutoubia Mosque with an impressive 221-foot tower that looms over the landscape. The

heavily decorated Saadian tombs also provide a glimpse of the royal, with their intricate work in stucco, wood, and gold. Yet within the same city, you’ll have the chance to get lost in the narrow, winding streets—appropriately referred to as labyrinths—where you are free to be entertained by snake charmers, haggle with shopkeepers, and get your fill of carpets that you can buy to take home as souvenirs.

But Morocco also offers sites outside the bustle of the city. Not too far from Marrakech is the High Atlas mountain range, many parts of which have gone undiscovered by other civilizations throughout history. The French occupied the country from 1912 to 1956, but this area remained largely unaffected. Willenbrock, who works as a tour guide, once spoke to the mayor of one of the villages about the French military presence there: “They had seen a Frenchman—once,” the mayor told him. “What was this lone Frenchman doing? A survey or census? No, he was fishing. So one lost fisherman was the sole extent of the French occupation in this remote area.”

Clearly, forging into the untouched High Atlas is not for the casual traveler, but those who are up for it are not likely to forget mingling with local Berber goatherds 9,000 feet up. It can prove to be one of the more organic experiences to be found in the country.

“Whatever your preconceptions are about Morocco,” says Willenbrock, “you are almost inevitably going to be surprised.” While you may still be flabbergasted at the $2,060 price tag of Morocco’s most expensive hotel, take a minute to breathe because there is much more to Morocco than price tags. After taking a peek at the lap of luxury in these modern hotels, explore the rest of what Morocco has to offer, from its old palaces and bustling markets to its stormy deserts and remote mountain ranges. ▶

www.visitmorocco.com

Left: The Bou Inania Madrasa in Fes is a classic example of Islamic architecture. Above: Don t miss haggling with Moroccan vendors for beautiful street art.

here’s looking at you, kıd The country of Morocco is located in northwest Africa.

It is not to be confused with Monaco, the sovereign citystate bordering France that attracted the attention of many Americans when the actress Grace Kelly married the country s prince in 1956.

Casablanca, Morocco s capital city, was made famous by the 1942 Humphrey Bogart film named after it. But don t go looking for any movie scenes here̶ no part of the film was actually shot in Casablanca. It is, however, home to art deco buildings and the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco and the third-largest in the world.

—Dana Kendall www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 17

Pick Your Continent

International Study Programs at the Kennedy Center serves students, faculty, and departments by facilitating the development and implementation of quality international academic experiences. Use the Program Finder (http://kennedy.byu.edu/isp) to choose the best fit for your academic and professional goals covering four types of programs for any major to department-specific opportunities.

Study Abroad

Students attend classes taught by BYU faculty that are enriched by excursions to local sites and immersion in a new culture. Some programs offer general education courses while others offer major-specific courses.

These are excellent for students who are traveling overseas for the first time and who want a structured program with plenty of interaction with BYU faculty and students.

Direct Enrollment

Students attend classes at an international institution of higher education.

Classes are taught by local professors with the credit transferring back to BYU. Direct enrollment is ideal for students who are willing to accept the challenges of facing a new culture on their own or in small groups of other BYU students.

International Stud\ Programs Field Schools

Field Schools are designed to help students prepare for graduate school or a career in cross-cultural/international consulting or research. Small groups of students, or individuals, live within a community—immersed in the local culture, as they carry out their own research projects. This type of program requires independent, committed, and self-motivated students, who are willing to prepare themselves through a semester-long preparation course, and who are willing to live in local conditions as members of a culture and community. Students are academically guided by one or several faculty mentors.

International Internships

Individual students or small groups work with international companies, government organizations, or development agencies. International internships are intended to provide a practical application of classroom learning. On-the-job experience is enhanced by regular feedback from a BYU faculty mentor. These internships are geared toward students who are independent, self-motivated, and willing to face the challenges of a new culture on their own.

101 HRCB | (801) 422-3686 | isp@byu.edu | kennedy.byu.edu/isp

Features

The high energy and red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, draw a bold breed of adventurers.

20

Dawn to Dusk at the Golden Temple

24

Railway to the Past: NYC s High Line Park

30

High on Sedona

Experience Sikh spiritual life by visiting the iconic Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.

Visit the High Line and see how New York City has made an out-of-use railway into a beautiful park.

Photo by Tyler Williams

Bask in Sedona’s high energy with vortexes and outdoor adventure.

www.stowawaymag.com â—€ 19

Visitors come to the Golden Temple to worship throughout the day and even well into the night.

20 â–ś spring 2013

Dawn to Dusk at the

GOLDEN

Temple

By Emily Bell

100,000 visitors. 200,000 shoes. 35,000 meals. 4 sacred doors. 1 holy book.

Even for the large and populous country of India, the scale of what happens at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, on a day-to-day basis is nearly overwhelming. But that shouldn’t stop you from visiting.

This most sacred of Sikh sites is open to anyone, whether they are curious to learn more about the Sikh religion or just want to visit an extraordinary place.

The famous Golden Temple is the central building of a larger complex called Harmandir Sahib. First constructed in the sixteenth century, the complex houses the most famous Sikh temple in the world. Pale walls surround a massive open courtyard dominated by a large pool called Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar). The gilded temple glitters in the center of the lake, accessed by a causeway with a hefty line of people.

This temple is primarily run by volunteer Sikhs, whose religion places an emphasis on seva, or selfless service. One of the ways they can live out this principle is by volunteering at a gurdwara (Sikh Temple) such as Harmandir Sahib. Types of seva at the temple include cleaning, organizing, serving meals, and donating the supplies used to make the food.

Photo by Jasleen Kaur

Outside the Walls Around the temple walls, street vendors stand close by to sell bandanas or scarves, because covering one’s head is an important way that visitors to the temple show their respect.

Due to the especially sacred nature of the temple, all visitors are also asked not to smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, or eat meat while they are within the complex.

The first stop for any visitor entering the temple is the bustling shoe check, where guests are asked to enter the temple barefoot to show their respect for the holiness of the place.

This is no mere wall of cubbyholes; the check-in resembles a train station more than anything else. Guests wait

in long—but fast-moving—lines to exchange their shoes for tokens at one of the dozens of volunteer desks.

There’s no need for visitors to worry about the state of their bare

feet. Thanks to the extra care of another set of temple workers, there are small pools of water to walk through right before entering the doors of the complex.

Getting to the Temple Harmandir Sahib is located in the city of Amritsar, in the Punjab province of India. ▶

Amritsar can be accessed from Delhi via train, taxi, or plane.

▶

By car, it takes about seven hours to get to Amritsar; by plane, it takes about one hour.

▶

The Amritsar airport is small, and most flights are to and from Delhi.

▶

Once in the city, you can reach the temple by taxi or auto-rickshaw.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 21

Inside the Walls All around the courtyard are the sounds of soft footsteps and louder chatter. Tourists snap pictures and make sketches; worshippers do prostrations or even bathe in the lake’s sacred water. But whether one is a tourist or worshipper, this is a place for open conversation.

Many visitors are struck by the friendliness of perfect strangers here.

Mary Downs, who traveled to the temple with a student group, recounts her delight with this phenomenon. “At

other places in India,” she says, “I was a little more guarded about people walking up to me and starting to talk to me. I am distrustful and always question the motives of others. But at the Golden Temple, I felt like everyone was there to be at peace and enjoy being part of something bigger. So I felt like talking to people and was genuinely able to connect with individuals very different than me.”

Mr. Singh (who shares his name with much of the Sikh population) is

a successful Amritsar businessman, but he still enjoys offering free tours of the temple’s infrastructure to passing strangers in his spare time. “I don’t need the money,” he explains. “I do it simply because I like to meet new people. There are many interesting people here.” One of Mr. Singh’s favorite things to show curious newcomers is the temple’s massive kitchens.

In the Kitchens visitors. The whole operation is supervised and monitored by yet another set of dedicated volunteers. “The temple is mostly run by volunteers,” Mr. Singh says proudly. “People try to contribute whenever they can.”

Once the food is made, it is served with remarkable speed and efficiency, which is paramount, since guests are fed in groups of thousands.

There’s no need to wait in a line this time around. Instead, guests sit on mats and are served by quickly moving

volunteers who offer them one savory vegetarian dish after another, all served with steaming hot bread.

Best of all, it’s completely free and available to anyone. From beggar to businessman to tourist, all people are welcome to sit down and eat together, emulating Sikh values of equality.

“I expected the food to be not so great, being made in bulk like that,” says visitor Melissa Cowles. “But it was delicious!”

Photo by Deborah Hoffa

The kitchens of Harmandir Sahib are a sight to behold. Various curries and dahls (legume-based dishes) are cooked in pots nearly as big as the people who stir them. The chapati (a type of Indian flatbread) is made factory-style, baked in discs that are carried by conveyor belt through an oven before getting dumped into large buckets. But unlike most places where food is mass-produced, nothing here will be shipped out to other locations—all of it is for the temple’s

Meals at the temple often include chapati (a type of flatbread), dahl (a legume-based dish), steaming hot curry, and kheer (a rice pudding).

22 ▶ spring 2013

At the Shrine The best time to visit the gilded shrine at the pool’s center may be in the evening when the temple lights up the whole courtyard and the temple’s sheen is reflected by the still waters. The line to enter the shrine is worth the wait. Inside, the walls are beautifully decorated with engravings of sacred verses and other ceremonial items of Sikhism, such as candles and mosaics.

Every night the Guru Granth Sahib, the most sacred book in Sikhism, is delivered via procession to its resting place, the seat of Sikh parliament. The large book is carried in a velvet-lined palanquin (a covered sedan chair) decorated with flowers. Sikh devotees line up and take turns shouldering the palanquin, forming a human conveyor belt to carefully ensure the book’s safe journey.

Typically this ceremony happens at 11:00 pm in the summer and 9:00 pm during the rest of the year, but visitors should know that the exact time may vary. The temple as a whole is open almost 24 hours, from 6:00 am to 2:00 am.

As the evening falls and the book is delivered, the pace of temple life declines. Pilgrims and wanderers alike sit at the water’s edge and stare out at the glittering temple. Some visitors even bring mats to sleep on; their desire to stay close to the shrine does not die with the sun. The shrine itself stays lit up all night, a beacon of harmony and sanctity. Mary sums up the peace of night at the temple best.

“I was able to chat, to relax, to think. I felt so content there.”

A Few Sikh Terms ▶

Sikhism: A monotheistic religion of Indian origin.

▶

Sikh: A practitioner

of Sikhism. ▶

Gurdwara: A place of

worship for Sikhs. All public gurdwaras include a place for the sacred text, a community kitchen, and a daily routine that involves hymn singing and readings from the sacred text.

▶

Guru Granth Sahib:

The sacred text of Sikhism.

Also known as Ad-Granth, it features hymns that ponder on God s nature as well as reasons to meditate on his name. ▶

Guru: A term of Indian

origin denoting a spiritual leader and teacher. The guru who founded Sikh-

Photo by Daniel Atwood

ism was Guru Nanak.

Bathing or wading in the temple s water is said to bring blessings.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 23

In a city that has always built up, the High Line park fits right in among high-rise apartment and office buildings.

24 ▶ spring 2013

railway to the past

NYC s High Line Park

By Megan Gebhard

www.stowawaymag.com â—€ 25

Park goers can pass time relaxing while enjoying the panoramic views of NYC.

26 ▶ spring 2013

of the railway’s past. Many of the plants selected for the park were species that grew naturally on the High Line during its disuse, recreating the magical imagery that had captured the imagination of so many people. Look down and you might see the original train track running beneath your feet.

Dave and Grace Poulsen both moved to New York just as the park was opened, and the park has been part of their lives since they arrived in the city. “We used to go a lot when we were dating,” says Grace, who used to live in the nearby Flatiron District. “It seemed like a hidden park. Chelsea is such a cool area, and it was fun to walk around and look at expensive shops. But all of a sudden, you really had a reason to go over there.”

The Poulsens aren’t alone in their enthusiasm. More than 3.7 million people visited the park in 2011. New York has its fair share of famous parks, and the High Line is quickly solidifying its place among them.

Railway of Yesterday

The High Line railway was originally built in the 1930s. The elevated line was constructed to replace the dangerous street-level railroad that transported goods to the warehouses in the Meatpacking District. The West Side was notoriously called Death Avenue because of the large number of accidents involving the trains and other street traffic. Men on horses were hired to ride in front of the trains and warn pedestrians and street traffic of the approaching locomotives. This group of riders famously became known as the West Side Cowboys and were arguably the first urban cowboys.

With the building of the High Line, the West Side Cowboys became obsolete, and then with the growth of the highway system, the High Line too became a thing of the past. In 1980, the train carried its last load of cargo—three train cars full of frozen turkeys. The city slated the railway for

Previous spread: photo by Juan Valentin; above: photo by Oliver Rich

A decade ago, the High Line, a historic elevated freight railway that runs through the West Side of Manhattan, looked like something out of a dystopian novel. It was overgrown by an assortment of hardy native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. But it was enchanting—the idea that nature had reclaimed the tracks in the middle of modern, bustling New York. Wildflowers lined the tracks, vividly contrasting with the blackened steel frame of the railway. Unclaimed and abandoned, the flowering tracks floated 30 feet above the bustle of Chelsea’s neighborhoods and industrial warehouses, a silent relic of the past.

Today, though still flowering, the High Line is silent no longer.

The steel frame is topped with green lawns, flowering gardens, groves of trees, and walkways lined with lounge chairs and park benches. Today, as you walk through the 1.45-mile park that stretches over 20 blocks of Manhattan’s West Side, you can still see reminders

demolition in 1999. A few people protested, but many more were in favor.

But the voices that won out were those of Joshua David and Robert Hammond, founders of the nonprofit organization Friends of the High Line. The two men proposed turning the dilapidated steel structure into a public park. And today, through their work and the efforts of hundreds of contributors, the High Line is a bustling line of activity once more.

Park of Tomorrow

Sure, having a park 30 feet above the street is a novelty. But the innovations

plant beds are designed with sloped cracks between and beneath them to direct storm runoff to water the park’s two hundred species of plants. The High Line creates its own homegrown compost from the plant waste generated from the park’s gardens, and Friends of the High Line is currently looking into starting a partnership with local food businesses to use the businesses’ food waste for compost.

The park inspires a greater level of involvement from the public. Every April, hundreds of volunteers help with the annual Spring Cutback. The old plant growth is left alone all winter to provide a variable landscape

of the High Line go beyond simple novelty. The park has sparked a new movement. People are beginning to look at abandoned cityscapes in a new light. Across the United States, cities are looking at their old railways and buildings not as urban relics but as architecture with endless potential and possibility. They are discovering that these old structures can be used in more efficient and creative ways.

Friends of the High Line is a forward-thinking organization. They do their best to keep the park ecofriendly and to keep waste and use of chemicals to a minimum. The park is essentially a living green roof. The

taking parks underground On the heels of the High Line s novelty

The funding that was brought

former NASA engineer, the technology

comes the idea for another park, one

in from Kickstarter.com was used to

uses reflective solar collection dishes

that introduces an entirely new way to

create the exhibit Imagining the

to direct sunlight through tubes of

recycle abandoned urban space. Aptly

Lowline, which gave visitors and

fiber-optic cables down to the subway.

nicknamed the Lowline, the proposed

spectators a sampling of what the park

A series of domes attached to the

park would make use of the aban-

would look like.

subway station ceiling would distrib-

doned Williamsburg Trolley Terminal

The exhibit featured the futuristic

ute the channeled sunlight to the

that sits beneath Delancey Street on

fiber-optic technology that would

park below, allowing plants and trees

New York s Lower East Side. Founded

be used to channel sunlight into the

to grow as normally as they would

by James Ramsey and Dan Barasch, the

underground park. Largely developed

aboveground.

Lowline plans to be the world s first

by James Ramsey, an architect and a

▶

www.thelowline.org

underground park.

The Lowline still has a long way to go before it can become a reality. The park is budgeted to cost between 20 and 30 million dollars. Public support is key in the project s success̶and thus far, there s been no lack of it.

In February 2012, Dan Barasch launched a fundraising page for the Lowline on the collaborative funding Photo by Garrett Ziegler

website Kickstarter.com. Donations were open for a month and a half; in that time, more than three thousand people donated $155,186 toward the project, $50,000 over the donation goal.

With sufficient funding, NASA technology would turn a dark and dank trolley station into an underground wonder.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 27

reminiscent of that which wintered on the High Line during its years of abandonment. Last April, nearly three hundred volunteers worked 1,500 hours over the course of six weeks to cut away the shaggy winter cover and make room for the new spring growth.

Community Today

Exploring the park today, you will see modern additions to the railway. The High Line features art from both international and local artists. The Friends of the High Line works with new artists every year to add more artwork along the park. Another fun addition is Tenth Avenue Square, a bridge that spans bustling Tenth Avenue. The bridge is set up with bleacher seating that looks out to a large glass window, through which you can watch the traffic putter by. A wading pool that begins near Fifteenth Street is a favorite for kids and adults during spring and summer; it is a fun place to unlace your shoes and take a walk in the water.

Dave Poulsen describes the impression the park made on his friend Nate, who moved to New York in the sweltering heat of July. Nate saw the wading pool, its water spilling out onto the sidewalk for nearly a block, and beelined for it. “He was so excited that he took his shoes off and started walking through it in his bare feet and was like, ‘This is so awesome.’ ” Dave continues, “Somebody thought of that and executed it in a way that made someone respond.”

The park highlights not only the original architecture of the High Line railway but also the creative expression of contemporary artists.

28 ▶ spring 2013

Like the bustling trains that daily rode the High Line, the park is in constant motion with a momentum and energy that can’t be stopped. The park has nine entrances, four with elevator access, spread throughout Manhattan’s West Side. There are lawns to lounge on, platforms to view the Hudson River and the Empire State Building from, and a plethora of

Photography by Bethany Davis

Sites and Snacks

park benches to sit and relax on for a bit. The park contracts vendors to sell affordable and distinctive food.

For example, you can stop by the People’s Pop, a popular stand that has practically reinvented the popsicle.

Using local fruits and herbs, the stand creates nothing short of popsicle masterpieces.

Events Park goers who want to do more than ramble around the walkways can join in a variety of activities held annually and more frequently. If you want to learn more about the details of the park—its history, construction, horticulture, and such—there are free tours every week. Starting in April, you can join the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York in the park every Tuesday night and enjoy stargazing through highpowered telescopes. On April 22, the park celebrates Earth Day, which marks the end of the annual Spring Cutback. Earth Day is celebrated with performances, a ceremony to commemorate the volunteers, and chats with the High Line gardeners.

Photo by Joan Garvin

Neighborhoods The park cuts through two vivacious communities of Chelsea: the Meatpacking District and West Chelsea. Each area is energetic with its own distinct crowd. In 1900, the Meatpacking District was home to 250 meatpacking plants and slaughterhouses. Today, the district is much more lively. The old warehouses and plants have been converted into a variety of photography and design studios, fashion boutiques, restaurants, and nightclubs. The district is famous for its nightlife. For a sampling of the district’s diversity, visit the Chelsea Market just off the High Line park at West 16th Street. The enclosed food court and shopping mall is home to a diverse selection of restaurants, bars, and boutiques.

The park has brought the historic High Line railway out from the past and into the light of the present.

What sets Chelsea Market apart is that its original factory interior remains untouched, giving the market a rugged and historic feel.

If you are of a more artistic leaning, you can visit West Chelsea, which has the claim of hosting the world’s largest concentration of art galleries.

There are hundreds of art galleries that showcase contemporary, modern, and fine art, including paintings,

photography, prints, and sculpture.

There’s a lot of diversity and creative energy that come from such a community. Friends of the High Line works to channel that energy into the park.

Whether you live down the street or are seeing New York for the first time, the High Line offers an opportunity to connect with the city and its people on a higher level—one that is 30 feet off the ground.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 29

high on by brennan jernigan

A rhythmic noise echoed off the red sandstone spires of Sedona, Arizona, as Cory Donovan, a college student from Camarillo, California, looked for yet another foothold in the rock face. “I would hear a kind of doong-ticka-doong in the background,” Donovan says. “I think it was right on the other side of the spire we were on.”

Focused on the strenuous climb, Donovan didn’t pay much attention at first. But when he got to a point of rest and began to belay his partner, he recognized the noise—it was drumming from one of Sedona’s famed vortexes.

30 ▶ spring 2013

Photo by Jason First, courtesy of Over the Edge Sedona

Sedona

Photo by Robert Rebholz, courtesy of Over the Edge Sedona; font by Kevin Christopher, www.kcfonts.com

“We had heard of people seeking out these ‘vortexes,’ like little pockets of energy in the universe,” Donovan explains. “I got the impression that people kind of dance around them or play music, and just sort of absorb the energy from the area.” Donovan’s impression fits nicely with the Sedona Chamber of Commerce’s description of vortexes as areas that “have highly concentrated energies conducive to prayer, meditation and healing.”

Tourists come from all over to stand in picturesque locations among the red rocks, where mystic energy fields are supposedly the strongest.

And it’s not just vortexes that they visit; travelers to Sedona seek various forms of spiritual renewal.

Greg Stevenson, a local business owner and avid Sedona hiker, sums up the location with these words: “This is a very spiritual place.”

Welcome to Sedona—a place where rock climbers hear the drumming of mystics in their ears, where mountain bike rental shops mingle with “crystal magic” stores, and where popular hiking destinations coincide with spots of high-energy healing. While New Age spiritualists and wealthy middle-aged or retired tourists have long been flooding this red rock oasis of Northern Arizona, only recently have young adventurers begun to recognize the call of Sedona’s hundreds of day hikes, biking trails, and multipitch climbs. On the trails and summits of Sedona’s towering red rock formations and along the banks of its winding Oak Creek, a younger generation of travelers is discovering high energy in high adventure.

Jason First, the 29-year-old co-owner of the Over the Edge bike shop in Sedona, cannot seem to say enough about Sedona’s great biking trails. In comparing Sedona to the more popular mountain biking destination of Moab, Utah, he says, “Sedona is relatively under the radar compared to Moab, but I definitely think it has a lot more unique trails to offer.” When First raced mountain bikes as a student at San Diego State, fellow racer and friend Michael Raney introduced him to the world of mountain biking in Sedona.

Sedona caught First’s attention with its “amazing views” and the “diversity” of its landscape and trails.

“It’s not just red rock, but it’s actually a lot of greenery, a lot of trees,” First observes. He was impressed with how the trails were built: “They do a good job of contouring the land and using washes, slick rock, and sections of trees.” First was so impressed that he and Raney later decided to open up their own bike shop in Sedona.

First assures bikers that the trails in Sedona will keep them stimulated. The trails are constantly going up and down, so there’s no time to get bored on long uphill or downhill stints. In addition, the trails don’t have a lot of straight stretches, so bikers are constantly turning.

Not only are the trails themselves

Moab, Eat

Your Heart Out

The biking trails in Sedona are ideal if you’re looking for diversity, adventure, and spectacular views—and many of these trails also run right by designated vortex sites.

Bike shop owner Jason First enjoys mountain biking in Sedona because nearly every trail offers big views.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 31

“whether you feel anything or not, it’s a killer spot to go . . .”

32 ▶ spring 2013

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 33

Bold

Climbers Only

“You climb in Sedona, bro? Oh, this’ll be easy for you then.” Climbers who make Sedona their playground hear this kind of comment often, says Alex Wood, a 21-year-old geology major from Southern California. “Sedona has been a place where bold climbers go to test themselves,” he says.

Cory Donovan agrees: “Sedona kind of gets a reputation of being scary and intimidating because you’ll be climbing and then the hold you’re holding onto will just break off.” He

explains that some people don’t like to climb in some areas around Sedona because there’s often a long hike before a climb begins, and then some of the sandstone isn’t even stable as you climb—in climber’s terms, it’s chossy. “But that’s exactly why other people like it,” Donovan says happily.

“I think it’s kind of an adventure to have to put up with those things.”

Those who feel brave enough to risk the chossy climbs around Sedona can add some of the following names to their list of conquered routes: Queen Victoria, Earth Angel, Dr. Rubo’s Wild Ride, Sedona Scenic Cruise, Goliath, the Mace, and Streaker Spire. While they are cataloging their exciting climbs, Sedona adventurers may also experience face-to-face encounters with passing helicopters, run-ins with rattlesnakes on the approach, and jumps between spires with 200-foot drops.

And there are, of course, the drum circles. Like Donovan, Wood has climbed to the rhythm of vortex drumming—and when he reached the summit of one climb, he was happy to find the drummers cheering for him below. That’s not exactly the sort of thing climbers would experience anywhere else. But that’s exactly what makes Sedona the perfect place for climbers who want to take a trip into the unknown. As Wood puts it, “Everyone goes down there for the adventure.”

Romp, Sweat, and Hike

Roman DiBiase performs a sick move in the Windows climbing route of Sedona.

34 ▶ spring 2013

There are more than a hundred hiking trails in Sedona, and most are open for hiking year-round. A few hiking enthusiasts have dubbed Sedona “the day-hike capital of the world.”

Greg Stevenson, owner of the Hike House in Sedona, has met visitors from all over the world who come to the area for its hikes. He tells of one young couple he met from

Previous spread: photo by Scott Keller, courtesy of Over the Edge Sedona; left: photo by Tyler Williams

exciting, but their surroundings are also stunning—there are big views and large rock features present on nearly every trail.

When asked about the idea of natural high-energy spots in Sedona, First says that most of the designated vortex sites are located in places already beautiful in and of themselves. “So whether you feel anything or not, it’s a killer spot to go,” he says.

“Every single one of them has a really good trail right next to it. That alone makes it worth it.”

Photo by Scott Keller, courtesy of Over the Edge Sedona

Norway. They had pulled up a video online of Sedona, and two weeks later they were hiking among the red rocks, carrying their one-year-old baby with them from trail to trail.

Stevenson cites this as only one example of the many young adults who come to Sedona as intentional travelers, not just as tourists. “A tourist is someone who blows through town, goes to Uptown [Sedona], takes a jeep tour, grabs a hotdog, uses the public restroom, and then they’re off to their next little town,” he says.

“Tourists miss it,” he adds emphatically. Stevenson sees a number of younger travelers who, in contrast to tourists, come to Sedona for an intentional interaction with nature. “While one group sees Sedona,” he says, “the other group experiences Sedona.”

Mia Mickey, a freshman at Northern Arizona University, sums up the appeal of Sedona this way: “I can visit Sedona and have an entire day of just romping around and sweating and looking at new things— and I don’t have to spend money doing that.”

Sedona offers all sorts of trails.

You can walk, climb, and scramble over red slick rock to reach the saddle of Cathedral Rock—which is “mindblowing,” according to Mickey—or you can hike through the Oak Creek Canyon and enjoy the large-leafed sycamores hanging over clear water.

Mickey explains that there is more solitude down by the creek, and she tells about a time she descended from Cathedral Rock and ran into water where she wasn’t expecting it. She says it was just like entering an oasis.

Whatever routes you choose to explore, you will no doubt become acquainted with Sedona’s brilliant rock formations. “The rock is so raw,” Mickey says. “And all the reds and all that . . .” She trails off as she tries to put it into words. But it’s not necessary, because her voice already conveys the energy she feels in Sedona.

When most of Sedona is in shadow and the sun hits the red rocks at an angle, the mountains almost glow.

She wraps up her endorsement of Sedona by saying, “When I’m there, nothing else matters.”

High Energy, Meet High Adventure

“A vortex site in Sedona is a place where one can feel Sedona’s energy most strongly.” That’s what the Sedona Chamber of Commerce tells potential visitors. But a younger generation of travelers is going beyond experiencing Sedona’s energy in designated vortex locations—they are finding high-adventure activities that connect them with nature and its energy in a whole new way.

There is room enough in Sedona for both types of energy seekers. As Donovan says about his experience with the rhythmic drumming that accompanied his climb, “My climbing partner and I welcomed it.” He laughs and adds, “The drummer was pretty good too.” ▶

www.visitsedona.com

New Age by

number

Sedona attracts a fair number of visitors seeking spiritual healing, mystical forecasts, and soothing New Age awakenings. Check out the number of businesses catering to such visitors:

15 2 17 31 3 14 1 ▶

vortex or metaphysical tour companies astrology services energy healing or Reiki clinics clairvoyant or psychic centers aura-reading businesses massage locations dream analyst

www.sedonachamber.com

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 35

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Culture

From Italy straight to your kitchen, this lavender-lemon gelato is sure to hit the spot at your spring Sunday picnic.

39

Arts

40

Eats

45

Life

Travel the world with Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”

Kick back with some lovely lavender, experience barbeque Argentine style, or dine on the wild side.

Photo by Christina Johnson

Take note of dialects around the world, or celebrate a traditional Serbian holiday.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 37

N OW S T R E A M I N G O N A L L YO U R DEVICES

classical89.org 38 â–ś spring 2013

89.1 & 89.5 fm

arts

Ode to Joy Beethoven s Ninth in the US, March‒May Spring is a great time to hear this symphony of rebirth and joie de vivre. (It was originally premiered in the spring of 1824 in Vienna.) Here s a list of performances in the US from March through May 2013: ▶

Cleveland Orchestra (Miami, FL), March 14-16

▶

The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (PA), April 7

▶

Carmel Symphony Orchestra (Carmel, IN), April 13

▶

Emory Symphony Orchestra (Atlanta, GA), April 19‒20

▶

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra (AL), April 20

▶

Pittsburgh Symphony (PA), April 26-28

▶

Metro Chamber Orchestra (New York City, NY), April 27

▶

Fort Collins Symphony (CO), May 4

▶

St. Louis Symphony (MO), May 9‒12

▶

New West Symphony (Santa Monica, CA), May 10‒12

▶

Charlotte Symphony (NC), May 10‒12

Photo by Am Y

▶

North State Symphony (Redding, CA), May 12

A Well-Traveled Tune Think for a moment about the mosttraveled piece of music. Of all the pop songs and folk tunes buzzing through the airwaves, what melody has traveled to the most places?

Of course, it would be impossible to get an accurate count or a definitive winner, but there’s one nineteenth-century German tune that would be a serious contender.

It’s a piece that has almost become humanity’s theme song all around the globe, a melody that virtually everyone has ingrained into their memory— “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

To get a sense for the scope of this piece of music, think of the Ninth Symphony as a fellow traveler. In getting to know this large and cheerful new comrade, you might ask about favorite travel spots. You’d find out pretty quickly that he has made his rounds. “Well, I spend a lot of time in Europe.” (“Ode to Joy” is the anthem of the EU.) “And every holiday season, I try to see as much of Japan as I can.”

(The Ninth Symphony has been a winter tradition in Japan for decades, with dozens of performances by amateur and professional orchestras each year.)

But those facts are still deceptively modest. Beethoven’s Ninth has also been present at a number of major world events. When the Berlin Wall fell, Leonard Bernstein conducted a special concert featuring “Ode to Joy” performed by an international orchestra amid the rubble of the Wall to symbolize the healing

between East and West Germany.

In 2011, for the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, performances of the symphony lit up the globe. The text of the music implies a kind of global healing. It reads, “Your magic binds again what fashion has divided. All men become brothers where your gentle wing lingers.”

If music is the universal language, then Beethoven’s Ninth is the universal thought behind that language. No matter where you’re traveling, you’ll probably have a chance to hear this symphony. This spring in the United States alone, orchestras from coast to coast have it featured prominently in their lineup.

And that’s part of the beauty of the music: it doesn’t matter where you are when you hear it. The message is universal and the music timeless.

—Michael Wyatt

To listen to a radio manager talk about the Ninth, visit our website.

eats

lavender

Four Corners of the Kitchen Lavender has been an international culinary favorite for more than 2,500 years, and the purple flower has recently regained culinary popularity because of its subtle and soothing scent. For tips on how to purchase and use culinary lavender, check out our online exlusive.

—Cameron Smithson

Lavender Rose Tea India

This exotic lavender tea is soothing and relaxing. Rose petals have antidepressant properties and are a good source of vitamin C. Lavender is often used with pain management, sleep disorders, and circulatory problems.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh lavender petals (2 teaspoons dried) 2 tablespoons fresh rose petals (1 tablespoon dried) 1 tablespoon fresh spearmint leaves (1 teaspoon dried) honey or sugar 6 to 8 cups boiling water tea bags

Directions 1.

2.

From top left clockwise: lavender lamb meatballs, lavender-lemon gelato, lavender buttermilk scones with lavender jelly, and lavender rose tea.

40 â–ś spring 2013

Place lavender, rose petals, and mint in a tea bag and let steep in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Sweeten with honey or sugar to taste.

Yield: 6 to 8 cups Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes

eats

Lavender Lamb Greek Meatballs Greece

This savory dish infuses many Greek staples into one tasty meatball. The spiciness of the lamb, the earthiness of the lavender, and the freshness of the mint blend into one Mediterranean dish that you won’t be able to pass up.

Lavender-Lemon Gelato Italy

Who could pass up a decadent serving of homemade gelato? This version of the Italian favorite is a subtle combination of soothing lavender and bright citrus, giving you the perfect spring treat.

Ingredients

England

Lavender nicely enhances the flavor of these traditional English scones.

They also pair perfectly with a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I—lavender jelly—which you can find in an online exclusive at www.stowawaymag.com.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

2 pounds ground lamb

½ cup fresh lavender (¼ cup dried)

2 cups diced onion

4 tablespoons lemon zest (about 4 lemons)

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons salt

½ cup honey

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons pepper

5 egg yolks

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

½ cup sugar

¼ cup butter, chilled and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon dried lavender, ground

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped lavender (2 teaspoons dried)

Directions

1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1.

2 cups breadcrumbs 4 eggs olive oil 2 cups crumbled feta cheese

2.

Directions 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Photo by Christina Johnson

Lavender Buttermilk English Scones

Preheat oven to 375°.

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until tender.

Remove from heat and add in lavender, rosemary, and feta.

Combine lamb, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.

Add feta and onion mixture to lamb mixture and mix thoroughly.

Roll into desired size and sauté in olive oil for approximately 10 minutes, until golden on all sides.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes.

Yield: About 36 1-inch meatballs Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 8 to 12 minutes

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, honey, and lemon zest, and bring to a gentle boil.

Cover the pan and remove from heat, allowing the flavors to infuse together for 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar, beating on mediumhigh speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture is a thick consistency and a pale yellow color.

Strain the mixture, and discard lemon zest and lavender.

Return the saucepan with milk to the burner and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Take about a cup of milk and mix it in with the egg mixture. Add mixture back to the milk, whisking everything together. Continue to cook over low heat until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.

Remove mixture from heat and stir in cream. Strain once more to ensure that no lavender or lemon zest remains, then place in the refrigerator until cold.

Once chilled, add mixture to an ice cream maker, following the ice cream maker’s instructions.

Yield: 4 cups Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup buttermilk

Directions 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Whisk dry ingredients together, including lavender and lemon zest.

Rub butter into dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Using a fork, stir in enough buttermilk to create soft dough.

Knead dough, then pat or roll to about ½ inch thick.

Use a round cutter or pat dough into 2½ inch diameter circles, then brush each scone with remaining buttermilk. You can also sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top if you like.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden.

Yield: 10 to 12 scones Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

Don t forget to check out a great recipe for lavender jelly on our website.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 41

eats

Meet the Meat

Argentine Asado

Asado may not be the national dish of Argentina by law, but it is definitely so by heart. This smorgasbord of meats—mostly beef—is slowly barbecued for hours over an open grill. The word asado refers not only to the food but also to the culinary event itself.

Asado does exist in other countries, but this tradition has a special significance to Argentines.

“Asado is a celebration of friendship,” explains Siro Dominguez, a native of Argentina and the owner of the Argentine catering company Siro’s Place in Spanish Fork, Utah.

By inviting someone to an asado, Dominguez says, you send the message, “You are welcome to my home.” If you are invited to a family asado during your stay in Argentina, the meal will be worth the wait—it may be the best-tasting meat you ever eat.

Asado is cooked slowly over an open grill called a parrilla. The parrillas of many families in Argentina are actually made right before cooking the asado by putting a metal grill on two stacks of bricks, with a piece of sheet metal covering the ground underneath. Some families (and most of the restaurants in Argentina) use prefabricated brick grills to make their asados.

The cook (also called parrillero or asador) places the meat on the grill and then watches each piece of meat carefully. The fire underneath the grill is fundamental, Dominguez asserts. Its heat is kept relatively low because the goal is to slow-cook

42 ▶ spring 2013

Top: Go to an asado and you ll partake of Argentina s rich tradition of hospitality̶and its delicious food. Above: While the parrillero tends this mouthwatering array of meats, other family members might help to prepare side dishes or enjoy a spirited game of fútbol (soccer).

From top: photography by Arturo Alfaro Galán and Rafael Leal

You Know the Grill

Have a Cow! Argentines eat more beef than the people of any other country̶

the meat. A little salt may be thrown on the meat as it cooks, but no other seasoning is typically used—asado is all about the flavor of the meat.

savoring each other’s company. You will remember the night of your asado as one of good food, smiling faces, and great friends. ▶

www.argentinastravel.com/ basics/cuisine/asado

Table Talk

▶

www.asadoargentina.com

▶

www.wisegeek.com

about 50% more per year than the average American, according to the Washington Post. Unsurpris-

If you want to have the full experience of an asado, be prepared to take the time to savor both the food and the accompanying conversation. You’ll enjoy animated discussions with others as the asado slowly cooks, as well as during the meal itself—if you can find time to pull yourself away from the juicy, steaming meat before you.

And don’t forget to stay for the sobremesa, a necessary finale to the asado and to most shared meals in Argentina.

During this time, which often lasts for hours, Argentines remain by the table to drink yerba mate (a traditional herbal beverage) and to continue

ingly, beef is the meat of choice for an Argentine asado. The beef cuts in Argentina are different from those in the United States, and at an asado you will encounter a wide variety of them. This cow map shows where the different cuts are found. In Dominguez s opinion,

costillas (rib meat) are the essential cut for an asado.

Besides beef, most asados

also include chorizo (delicious sausages usually made from pork), as well as other meats, French bread, or vegetables as side dishes. ▶

www.washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/ article/2006/03/19/ AR2006031900996.html

round) (bottom

churrasco-vacío (flank)

ña tra -en k) o asc tea urr t s ch (skir

bre ) tam eak ma nk st (fla

bife ancho (rib-eye)

azotillo (neck)

asado or costillas (short ribs) paleta (shoulder) falda (flank steak)

Illustration by Jordan Carroll

bola d lom e (sirlo o in tip )

bife angosto (strip steak)

ita t) lom as pa er ro ld ou

cuadrada

cuadrilpalomilla (top sirloin)

(sh

peceto (eye round)

nalga (top round)

colita de cuadril (tri-tip)

—Ryne Steinacker

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 43

eats

Curious Cuisine

ENJOY WITH CAUTION Trevor Pool and his family came close to death—without even realizing it.

When Pool went fishing in Japan with his sons, they caught a puffer fish, or fugu, and the boat’s captain insisted on preparing it for the family to eat.

Pool was surprised because he knew fugu was poisonous. But he decided to try it anyway. Later, he learned that if not prepared correctly, fugu can be fatal. Fortunately, the fisherman knew what he was doing, and Pool and his family survived.

Of course, fugu is only one of many potentially dangerous foods.

Use these tips to avoid potential danger from exotic eats.

Fugu

Although fugu is an expensive delicacy in Japan, only highly qualified chefs are licensed to cook it. Before eating fugu, make sure that the chef is licensed

and that he tastes the fish before serving it. ▶

www.forbes.com/2004/02/24/ cz_af_0224health.html

Iguana

Iguanas are a common menu item in Central America and are known as “Chickens of the Trees.”

Unfortunately, reptile meat commonly contains parasites, bacteria, and viruses, including salmonella.

However, experts say that if the meat is frozen and then cooked properly, any parasites are deactivated. If iguana tacos are on the menu, double check that the restaurant is reputable and that the chef has prepared the meat properly. ▶

www.weird-food.com/ weird-food-reptile

Balut

While balut, a fertilized duck egg with a partially developed embryo, might not look tasty to many Westerners, it is a food of choice in many Asian countries. According to the FDA, salmonella organisms can grow in balut. However, if balut is boiled or steamed thoroughly (20–30 minutes), it is probably safe to eat.

Ceviche

This delicious Central and South American dish is cooked not with heat but with the acid from lemon and lime juice. If you choose to make this dish yourself, make sure the fish is cooked thoroughly to reduce the risk of food poisoning. To do this, cut the fish into small pieces before marinating and use a flat dish so the juice will thoroughly cover all of the fish.

Bitter Almonds

Bitter almonds are grown in Iran and are processed and refined to make almond extract. However, unrefined bitter almonds have been banned from sale in the United States. They contain a small amount of prussic acid, and eating too many can be lethal. ▶

www.homecooking.about.com/ od/cookingfaqs/f/faqbitteralmon

The Japanese delicacy fugu can be dangerous. If your tongue starts tingling, make sure you get life support̶fast.

44 ▶ spring 2013

Photo by Eden Politte

—Amber Galli

life

Say What?

That Wasn t in My Travel Dictionary

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Juan Guevara Labrín watched a mother turn to her unruly daughter and say sternly in Spanish, “I’m going to give you a pineapple.”

Say what? Only later did Guevara discover that piña, a word meaning “pineapple” in his native Chile, actually means “punch” in Argentina.

(Thus, his host was actually saying, “I’m going to punch you”—a significantly less fruity scolding!)

If, like Guevara, you encounter a new dialect in your travels, never fear! As Dr. Neil J. Anderson, PhD, explains, what you need to do is simply “slow your brain down” and recognize the linguistic differences you’re experiencing.

Here’s a heads-up on a few dialects you may encounter during your world travels.

Rioplatense/ Porteño Spanish

You’ll probably hear residents of Buenos Aires, Argentina, say they speak “Castellano.” But relax; it’s still Spanish. Technically termed Rioplatense or “porteño” Spanish, this delightful dialect features the informal voseo form of address. Emphasis is usually placed on the last syllables

of verbs, giving this dialect a distinctive cadence. Buenos Aires is also home to lunfardo, a street slang with its own unusual vocabulary—like saying piña to mean “punch” instead of “pineapple.” ▶

www.voseospanish.com

Cockney English and MLE

If you’ve seen My Fair Lady and you want to meet a real-life Eliza Doolittle, you’d better hurry!

According to linguistic experts, Eliza’s Cockney dialect will likely disappear from the streets of London within a generation. What you may need to look for instead is the emerging dialect of Multicultural London English (MLE), or “Jafaican” as it is colloquially called. MLE is heavy with Caribbean inflections, such as the tendency to clip words (like “fehs” instead of “face”), but it also features influences from areas ranging all the way from South America to the Middle East. ▶

www.kingsplace.co.uk/ celebrate-cockney

Pirate Chinese from Beijing s Bronx

One of the more interesting Chinese dialects that student traveler Bronson Terry has encountered is found in Beijing, an area that he says has “all sorts of different slang, like English in the Bronx. Their words all carry a heavy ‘r’ sound.” He’s heard foreigners call the Beijing dialect “pirate Chinese,” and he agrees that “it does sound mildly Pirates of the Caribbean-esque.” Though this dialect may sound shocking or humorous to speakers of standard Mandarin Chinese, Terry feels a special affinity for it, saying that it is a “hearty, earthy Chinese” that is a lot of fun to listen to. ▶

www.omniglot.com/chinese/ spoken.htm

—Ryne Steinacker

For more info on these dialects, read an extended version of this article on our website.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 45

life

to Gods, to Saints, to Family Celebrating Serbian Slava

S

erbia is an often-forgotten country in the Balkans. You might not know exactly where it is. (If it helps, it borders Romania, Turkey, and Kosovo.) And you might not even know what language the people speak. (For the record, it’s Serbian.) But one tradition sets Serbia apart—a celebration known as Slava.

Slava is not a nationwide holiday that every Serb observes on a specific date; rather, every family celebrates Slava on a day that is special to the patron saint of their own family—a saint chosen hundreds of years earlier and honored by the family through the generations.

Although Marija Mihajolovic isn’t Serbian Orthodox anymore, she still reflects fondly on her childhood in Kruševac, Serbia. One of her happy memories is of going to see the priest during Slava: “We go with bread and wine. When we come to the priest, he says a prayer for the saint. And he makes a cross on the bread and pours some wine.”

Bargaining for Traditions “Slava is very special to Serbs,” says Alex Fronk, an American who lived in Serbia from 2004 to 2006. “It is specific to Serbian Orthodoxy alone.”

But Slava isn’t strictly a religious holiday—this ancestral tradition connects all Serbs, religious or not, to their history.

In 1891, author Grant Maxwell wrote in the journal Folklore, “The act of household worship was a deeply rooted tradition for Serbians.” It is said that in ancient times, before Christianity came to Serbia, each family took a certain god as their protector, and Slava (literally “glory and celebration”) was the most important of their religious rites. It centered on the family’s god and was, according to Maxwell, “always accompanied by much feasting and varied entertainment.” When Christian missionaries

46 ▶ spring 2013

came to Serbia, Serbs weren’t willing to give up their tradition, so they adapted it. Upon baptism, they traded polytheistic gods for patron saints, and shrines for Christian icons—so Slava remained constant.

Celebrating with Family With time, Slava grew. Mihajolovic says that historically there were sometimes multiple days of celebration “because you have a lot of friends, and you want everybody to come. It’s nice to have a lot of people in house.”

These huge celebrations of the past are seldom seen now, but one of the most important elements remains the same: Slava is still focused on family.

Like many Serbs, Mihajolovic’s Orthodox parents celebrate Slava every year—and Mihajolovic, her husband, and their children are always there to join in the celebration with the whole family. They connect with family past and present by preserving sacred traditions. As part of the tradition, many Serbian families keep a candle lit at all times during the celebration to represent the light of life.

Special foods are also prepared, such as a bread called kolac. As Mihajolovic remembers, many devout Orthodox Serbs take their kolac to the priests to be blessed. “This is special bread,” she says. “You will eat this bread for dinner with your family.”

Families make an offering of boiled wheat called zito. For the religious, the zito represents the seed of life.

Slava has changed over the years.

“In the past, most of the people were more religious,” says Mihajolovic.

Today many Serbs are less familiar with Orthodox traditions. For them, Slava is not necessarily a religious celebration anymore. Rather, it has become a time to celebrate Serbia’s rich culture that has been passed down through the ages and the bonds formed with family and friends.

Sightseeing with St. Sava Because Slava is a personal tradition, you would have to visit a Serbian

Photography by Deacon Dragan S. Tanasijevic

Serbians say, Gde je Slava, tu je Srbin (where there is Slava, there is a Serb), and many of them gather to have their kolac (bread), also shown on the opposite page, blessed by an Orthodox priest before the celebration begins.

family during their own celebration of Slava to experience it firsthand.

But the same traditions found in Slava are observed nationwide on Sveti Sava’s day. On January 27, the capital city of Belgrade breaks into celebration, and there are many ways to take part. Visitors can watch a parade with traditional performers marching through the city. Visitors can also enter the Sveti Sava temple, which took more than 70 years to build and is said to be one of the most stunning religious monuments in Europe. Those wanting to get

closer to the core of this celebration are welcome to take part in Orthodox Church services.

For those who can’t make it to Belgrade, Sveti Sava’s day celebrations can be found in Serbian communities all over the globe. Celebrating Sveti Sava’s day is a sure way to get a taste of Slava.

But for Mihajolovic, the truest way to celebrate Slava is to spend time with family. “I remember going with my father to the church every year at this time,” she says. “I remember because it was nice. This is the

good thing about Slava—to talk and be with friends and family.” ▶

www.babamim.com/slava

▶

www.sbs.com.au/food/article/5394

—Christina Johnson

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 47

Sk

! y l l e i K

,EPJ 4MTI z 8IVVEMR 4EVO z 2MKLX 7OMMRK 2IEV -HELS *EPPW -( 1SRHE] XLVSYKL 7EXYVHE] [[[ WOMOIPP] GSQ `

Field Notes Photo by Debbie Scotson

It s smooth sailing for kite landboarders around the world.

50

Profile

52

Highway Highlights

53

Off the Beaten Path

56

Service

58

Tales from the Trip

60

Photo Contest Winners

Follow Greg Kennedy’s journey from baggage handler to airline executive.

Drive Australia’s Great Ocean Road and discover the world’s longest war memorial.

Take a hike through city streets, or catch some air on kite landboards.

Discover the joys of service and some tips on how to cut costs.

Check out readers’ tales of a subway romance in Paris and a Chinese-speaking merchant in Istanbul.

See pictures of parasailing in San Marino, hot air balloons in Turkey, and the ruins in Sukhothai.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 49

profile

SUITCASE to BRIEFCASE Greg Kennedy, Airline Executive

This part-time job as a baggage handler turned into a 30-year career at Delta Air Lines. Kennedy is now the vice president of Airport Customer Service and is in charge of Delta’s operation in Atlanta, Georgia, the largest airport hub operation in the world. Although the airline industry can be “tough business”

50 ▶ spring 2013

due to its economy-driven, cyclical nature, Kennedy says it’s also a lot of fun.

Kennedy shares an insider’s perspective on some of the perks of working in the travel industry.

He also offers his ideas about what Stowaway readers can expect for the future of air travel.

How did you go from an entry-level parttime job to a position as a top executive?

I worked as a part-time baggage handler for about a year and a half until I finished college. When I

Photo by Constantine Abatzidis

Greg Kennedy was working nights for UPS to support his young family while finishing his business degree. “One of my classmates told me he went to Hawaii for the weekend, and I didn’t believe him,” says Kennedy. “He said he worked for an airline and that they were hiring. He asked if I was interested, and I said what the heck.”

have worked with sick children and given them free travel.

What has caused the greatest changes to the airline industry during your career?

graduated, we decided we would give it a year and see if anything materialized. Obviously, things happened, and I’m still here 28 years later.

Photo by Jaclyn Kennedy

What have been some of your most rewarding experiences?

Some fun events have been throwing out the first pitch at an Atlanta Braves baseball game, running the Olympic torch in 2002 for the Salt Lake City Winter Games, and being on the board of directors for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, where I

Number one, without a question, was 9/11. It probably changed the travel industry more than any single event in history. Since 9/11, access to airports and security, as well as the processes people have to go through to get on an airplane, are much more challenging. And not only has the time it takes to make it from the airport to the airplane increased, but the cost of security to the airlines themselves has been immense.

Number two is frequent-flyer programs. Frequent-flyer programs create loyal, high-value customers who have very high expectations— they expect perfection, and that’s what we strive to deliver every day.

What changes in airline travel can Stowaway readers look forward to in the future?

What you’ll see in the airline industry is further consolidation. You’ll end up with probably two or three major carriers. The beauty of that is you’ll be able to travel pretty much anywhere

in the world on a single airline ticket.

That is very difficult to do today and has been for quite some time, but it’s getting easier and easier each day.

Not only that, but the Department of Homeland Security is working with the airlines to come up with opportunities for passengers to clear security more easily, much like pre-9/11 security. There’s a new program called Pre-Check, now set up in most airports. If you’re a high-value, frequent-flyer customer, you qualify for this Pre-Check, which is a lane where you don’t have to take your jacket off, your shoes off, your laptop out, your liquids out—nothing. You go right through, just like you did before 9/11. It’s going to become more available for flyers.

What are some benefits that you and your family have received because of your job?

There’s no question that the numberone perk has been being able to travel, to see the world, and to be exposed to lots of cultures. And because I’ve taken positions all over the country, we’ve been able to develop good friends everywhere. It’s been a really rich experience for us.

—Lindsey Encinas

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 51

highway highlights

A breathtaking view of the Twelve Apostles rock formation awaits travelers on the Ocean Road.

The world’s largest war memorial is an outlier. It is set apart not only by its size but also by its nature. Stretching more than 150 miles across the Australian state of Victoria, the Great Ocean Road serves the double function of providing visitors with stunning natural vistas as well as powerful reminders of the world’s “Great War.” The road began as a project to provide able Australian veterans of World War I with work. As they toiled to cut out the road by hand from the living rock, it soon took shape as a memorial to the fallen.

And these men could not have found a more beautiful place to dedicate to the memory of their lost brothers.

Perhaps the most iconic landmark on the road is the Twelve Apostles rock formation. Situated just off the coast, these looming limestone giants make an impressive sight. However, truth be told, “Twelve Apostles” is something of a misnomer—there were only ever nine rock formations, and one of them washed away in 2005.

52 ▶ spring 2013

The 150 miles of the Great Ocean Road offer a dazzling array of landscapes. As you might guess, there’s plenty of ocean to see along the way.

But the road also boasts many trails into one of Australia’s remaining rainforests, the Otways. Hikers, nature enthusiasts, and tourists come from all over the world to explore this dense ecosystem. In the immensity of the Otways, visitors can hear an inspiring roar or a soothing trickle from a variety of waterfalls waiting behind bends in the trails. The scent of life and nature is palpable on these hikes, many of which lead to campsites for the wanderer who wishes to take in the nocturnal forest as well.

At the edge of the Otways lies Apollo Bay, a coastal city just a modest distance from the Twelve Apostles. If you’re lucky enough to get to Victoria in late April, be sure to drop in at the Apollo Bay Music Festival (April 26–28). Entering its 21st year, the festival has grown in renown and international interest.

And if sight and sound isn’t enough to get you going down the Great Ocean Road, the road is packed with great restaurants and some of the best surfing locations on the planet. If you’ve never tried surfing before, there are plenty of spots along the way that offer lessons for beginners.

The diversity of these natural and cultural sites is dizzying, but not unexpected. Australia is, after all, a continent unto itself. Jessica Myers, a dual citizen of the United States and Australia, comments on this variety: “Australia has it all: a rainforest, and a red desert, and beaches, and middle-class suburbia. It’s got everything.”

Maybe that should be the takeaway for those visiting the Great Ocean Road: be prepared for everything. ▶

www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au

—Michael Wyatt

Photo by Matthew Blom

On the Ocean Road

off the beaten path

Photo by Bert Kauffman

Urban Hiking No Boots Required Unless you deliberately explore the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, you might never know that one of its libraries contains a swimming pool.

These kinds of surprises can be found in any town—if you know how to look. Enter urban hiking.

The point of urban hiking is to help people connect with their own towns and cities, no matter the location. Urban hiking requires none of the trappings of traditional hiking— all you need is a comfortable pair of sneakers, a water bottle, and a bit of curiosity. The idea is simple: you decide on an area of your city, and then you explore every side street, alley, and cul-de-sac along the way.

You can start with the public library, for instance, and meander your way toward a nearby restaurant so you can refuel after your walk. No matter how familiar you think you are with the town, you’ll be sure to discover something new.

Kelly Lange, director of the urban Heritage Tours in Cleveland, Ohio, says that when people more deliberately explore their surroundings, they usually say, “I’ve walked around these neighborhoods and seen all the buildings, but I’ve never looked up and appreciated the architecture.”

Several major metropolitan areas are home to urban hiking programs for residents and visitors alike. In Los Angeles, the Architecture and Design Museum conducts city tours that highlight the city’s distinctive buildings and quirky neighborhoods. On the East Coast, organizers of UrbanHike.com schedule group urban hikes about every other month, exploring the nooks and crannies of Pittsburgh.

Urban hiking lets you slow down and get a feel for a city, including some of its architectural details that you might overlook in your day-to-day life.

But the opportunities for great urban hiking discoveries are not limited to coastal states. For example, Lange discovered a downtown parking garage in Cleveland that in its roof had sections of an old theater that had not been entirely demolished. Cleveland also houses a district of historic arcades, which brings nostalgia for older residents and a sense of belonging for younger generations.

Kären Haley, director of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, discusses the kinds of experiences that can come only from hiking through your city frequently. While walking through Indianapolis, Haley has observed people imitating the poses of the electronic artwork known as “Ann Dancing,” and she has seen a dog skateboarding along the Cultural Trail. When you don’t just commute

in a car, Haley says, “you go from doorstep to doorstep and really see the culture of the city that happens between the destinations.”

Urban hiking offers you the chance to immerse yourself in your own city—and be on vacation anywhere you are. You can easily participate in urban hike programs in your own hometown. Try creating an account with MeetUp.com and then search for urban hiking opportunities in the area. Or create your own MeetUp group and recruit their friends to a weekend hike around town.

You could end up anywhere— even at a library swimming pool. ▶

www.urbanhike.com

▶

www.aplusd.org/urban-hikes

—Nyssa Silvester www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 53

o the beaten path

0 c *

Beaches are popular locations for kite landboarders because they oer a steady sea breeze and miles of unbroken, at ground to ride on.

Never heard of kite landboarding?

The sport has been around since the 1990s and is cousin to the wildly popular sport of kite surfing. But this is strictly a land sport.

Kite landboarders use a landboard, also called a mountain board.

The board is an all-terrain adaptation of the traditional skateboard and has treaded tires and loose bindings that strap onto the rider’s feet, allowing the rider to sail over bumpy ground

54 â–ś spring 2013

and to pull freestyle tricks with ease and grace. Using their kites to harness the power of the wind, riders smoothly propel themselves across the landscape and into the air at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and to heights of up to 20 feet.

Jack Elston, UK kite landboarding freestyle champion, has traveled throughout Europe to promote kite landboarding for international kiting companies such as Ozone and

Trampa Boards. Though kite landboarding is most popular in the UK, with places like Essex Kite Park enjoying growing popularity, it is not just a UK phenomenon. “There are loads of places I’ve kited outside the UK,�

Elston says, “but I would have to say the best was Raglan, New Zealand, where the beach stretches for miles and miles.�

Finding a place to ride and have a good time is fairly easy for kite

Photo courtesy of Ozone Kite Company

You can find kite landboarders anywhere there is wind and wide open space. You will find them on every continent (except perhaps Antarctica). And their numbers are growing.

Getting Started Want to try kite landboarding?

You ll need some basic equipment: a power kite, a landboard, a harness, and definitely a helmet. Prices vary on the necessary equipment, depending on your height, weight, skill level, and whether you re wanting to perform speed runs or freestyle tricks.

Basic starting prices: ▶

Landboard, $140

▶

Beginner foil kite, $130

▶

Basic harness, $40

▶

Helmet, $20

Remember that it s a good idea to learn how to control the kite before hopping onto a landboard and speeding off. Kiting companies around the world offer kiting lessons, which start at about $65, and many companies offer equipment rentals. Most important is getting the kite skills before you actually go and landboard, says Rafael Comperone.

If you understand the kite and how it pulls you, then you re

Photo by Ashley Garwood

pretty safe.

landboarders. Kite landboarding allows for more varied terrain than most kiting sports. Beaches, dry lakebeds, grassy fields, and even parking lots are all ideal locations. “One great part about kite landboarding,” says Rafael Comperone, a kite surfing instructor for Virginia Power Kites, “is that you don’t even need a half pipe or a quarter pipe to get a lot of air.”

With the opportunity to get a lot of air comes a lot of risk. True, you don’t have to worry about sharks,

Hugh Pinfold enjoys a kite landboarding session near a harbor in Great Britain.

stingrays, or jellyfish as you would if you were kite surfing, but you have more solid, immovable obstacles to think about—trees, spectators, and, of course, the ground. Riders are encouraged to wear a helmet, elbow pads, kneepads, protective gloves, and, at times, body armor.

“Land is lot more dangerous than the water,” Elston admits. “If you come down hard on the land, you know about it, whereas if you come down hard on water, it might not really hurt at all. I suppose overall it’s the danger aspect of it that keeps me going.”

The danger and the equipment definitely set this sport apart.

However, kite landboarding is about more than just fancy footgear and gnarly bruises. It is about camaraderie.

For Elston, the draw of kite landboarding over other forms of kiting is undeniable. “It’s a lot more social,” he says, “and you can do it mostly all year round. If you’re on the water, you can’t

really ride with your mates or cheer each other on to do tricks and stuff because you’re usually too far away from each other, and you can’t really stop to talk.” Kite landboarding allows for greater connection between riders.

While still largely unknown to the general public, kite landboarding is steadily growing in popularity. “The sport has come a very long way since I started,” Elston reported. “We have the British championships now, whereas before there weren’t even any small or local competitions.”

And as far as stunts go, he says, “Riders are doing tricks that I wouldn’t have even dreamed of when I started.” ▶

www.powerkiteshop.com /gettingstarted

▶

www.flyozone.com

—Megan Gebhard

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 55

service

More for Less

Determine Program Fees

Nearly all humanitarian foundations that organize volunteer trips have a set of required fees. These fees vary greatly, depending on the location and duration of the trip as well as the foundation that organizes it. Generally, the fees include everything that participants need in order to stay in the country for the duration of the trip: lodging, meals, work materials, and necessary transportation within the country. Some programs may also include health insurance or language classes.

By using the program’s facilities and eating the food that has been arranged for, volunteers can spend less money than they would spend if they went to the country on their own.

Lodge with the Locals One way that some programs can offer lower fees is by arranging some of the details through locals. For

56 ▶ spring 2013

example, Adam Richardson, a student at Brigham Young University, paid only $350 for a 10-day trip to Tijuana, Mexico, with the Charity Anywhere Foundation. The program fees were so low because the foundation had made arrangements with locals for lodging and meals. The volunteers didn’t have posh accommodations—instead, they stayed on the upper level of a Tijuana clinic, slept on the floor, and had no hot water for showers. “But the food was great,” says Richardson, because the program had hired a local woman to be their chef. “We really learned to appreciate the blessings we have, and we had a great time,” Richardson adds. “Plus, you can’t beat the price.”

Learn if Airfare Is Included

The cost of traveling to and from the country is generally not included in program fees; however, some programs do include airfare. Shereesa Maw, a 21-year-old from North Ogden, Utah, went to China for four months to teach English with International Language Program (ILP). She paid a fee of $2,500 for the trip, which included everything previously mentioned as well as her flight to and from China. The only other things she had to budget for were souvenirs and sight-seeing travel within the country. For these, she spent about $700, which, she says, was enough for everything she wanted.

Photo by Ferdinand Reus

Those who go on humanitarian service trips generally agree that what they gain from the experience far outweighs the money they spend. As with all travel, these trips can seem costly. But by doing a little research into program fees and available discounts, you could find that a humanitarian service trip may not be outside your budget.

Take Advantage of Discounts

If you’re on a very tight budget and are struggling to afford a service trip, look for a program that offers taxdeductible fundraising options or discounts. Some programs even offer student discounts, and some have bonus deals like a $100 credit if you bring a friend, half off the program fee for your spouse if you both go, or a few hundred dollars off if you pay the whole fee up front. Through ILP’s donation and fundraising program, Maw was able to obtain the bulk of her program fees, and she was left with only $800 to come up with on her own.

Find the Right Fit

Humanitarian service options exist on every continent and in most countries around the world. Volunteering to help in such programs is a rewarding way to experience other cultures and work with local peoples.

higher living and travel expenses than others, so you’ll need to spend time doing some research before you decide which program to choose.

Because such a great variety of programs exists, most volunteers can find

Though at first the program fees can seem overwhelming, the amount could actually be less than what you might spend at home or at school for a semester. Some countries have

a program that fits into their budget.

Just remember: these incredible experiences more than make up for the cost of service.

—Stephanie Richardson

Photo by Julien Harnies

$129.00

$77.50

ILP²

$22.32*

$

OSSO³

$

Help International

$19.35

$41.50

$59.82

$

1. International Volunteers HQ 2. International Language Program 3. Orphanage Support Services Organization

*Airfare included

Global Outreach

Cross Cultural Solutions

$41.00

IVHQ¹

Charity Anywhere Foundation

A Broader View

Approximate Costs per Day

$178.57* www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 57

tales from the trip

Tales from the Trip A Turkish Ni Hao

58 ▶ spring 2013

me, “Ni hao!” Surprised, I turned around to see a bearded middle-aged man dressed in a loose cotton outfit grinning at me. Ni hao certainly wasn’t something you would have heard in the days of the Byzantines or the Ottomans. Curious, I walked over to him.

“Where are you from?” he enquired.

“Singapore,” I responded.

“Where did you learn to speak Chinese?”

He gesticulated to the signs advertising his goods, and I noticed that the signs were written in English, Chinese, and some Arabic script.

“I learn Chinese because there are many Chinese tourists who come here now,” he explained.

Amused, I asked him what else he had learned in Chinese. To my complete and utter surprise, he rattled off (with a Turkish accent) a number of sales pitches to attract customers, carefully naming each product that lined his stall. I didn’t have a clue what any of those things were in English, let alone Chinese!

When he had finished his spiel, I told him I wanted five boxes of

rose-flavored Turkish delight, which he gratefully packed up for me.

After I paid him, I shook his hand and was just about to leave when he pulled me back to thank me for the business (in Chinese, of course). Just like any good trader, and in the tradition of his noble predecessors, he handed me his card.

“You are good friend,” he whispered. “You give this card to your friends so when they come next time, I will give them good deal.”

I smiled, told him I would, and walked on through the lane, enjoying an Istanbul that Suleiman the Magnificent could never have imagined. I turned back for a split second and caught sight of my new friend through the crowd, charming up the next tourist walking by, this time dropping the Chinese.

I think I still have his card— in case you’re ever looking for a Chinese-speaking merchant in Istanbul.

—Ee Chien Chua Singapore

Photo by Pedro Ribeiro Simoes

We wandered around the stalls of the market. The air was filled with the smell of spices familiar and foreign.

The guttural yells of store owners flew over our heads, and the jostling of a myriad of tourists and locals added to the adventure.

We were in Istanbul, Turkey, one-time capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

The air was filled with echoes of centuries past. We had just come from the Grand Bazaar, where I had already bought a dinky chess set, among other touristy trinkets. Now we were exploring the Spice Bazaar, Istanbul’s second largest market.

You know how countries used to go to war for pepper? This was the center of it all.

Surrounded by so many different kinds of spices, my friends and I were fascinated. Were we supposed to be safe and stick to cinnamon sticks, or did we dare ask about the red powder that looked like blood?

From pistachios to Turkish delights, the market was alive with color and activity.

While wandering down a row of shops, I heard a man yell behind

Metro Flirtings My horoscope said that it was my month to find love, but I was allowed to reject it when it came, right?

Let me start out by saying that I love the Paris metro system. You would need a 12-step program to get me away from it. There is nothing more exhilarating than running as fast you can through the tunnels to make your train. You hear the bell, the doors begin to close—that quick instinctual sliding—and you leap!

Most of the time you land on two feet. Sometimes you bump into someone or the door grazes your shoulder.

Either way, you stand there wild-eyed and out of breath—but smiling like a fool because you’ve never had such a rush in your life.

Just as fun is the whole navigational system. The numbered lines of the metro are all color-coded,

and it’s fun to see where they take you. Sometimes you find adventure. Sometimes you just find unrequited love.

One day in Paris, my roommate and I somehow entered different doors of the same metro car. She found a seat, while I stood in the back against the wall. After a few minutes, we suddenly made eye contact. She made a funny face, and I winked at her. Except that it wasn’t just a simple, smooth sort of wink.

It was obvious and over-dramatic and exaggerated, with an opening of the lips and a click of the tongue.

She laughed, knowing it was for her.

Unfortunately, the guy in front of her had a different idea—he thought it was for him.

He smiled as his eyes locked with mine. His twinkled. Mine bulged. He

closed his lips in what he thought was a sexy smirk. My jaw dropped. I have never felt the blood drain out of my face so quickly or had so many goosebumps erupt from revolting mortification. He kept smiling. He wouldn’t stop smiling! So I of course did what any mature adult would do in a misunderstanding like this one.

I grabbed my scarf, pulled it over my face, and ducked my head down behind another passenger.

I was lucky. My unwanted Romeo got off at the next stop— although he kept his eyes on me as he exited. I know because I peeked through my scarf in all of my infinite courage. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get my number next time.

—Kaitlin Fitts Las Vegas, Nevada

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 59

photo contest

First Place

The Paragliding Prince “I took this in San Marino, a small republic located within Italy. It was a fairytale land, complete with a paragliding prince who shouted out to us and called us bella. Whether he was talking to me, my younger sister, or my aunt is another matter.”

—Rachel Ross Glendora, California

60 ▶ summer 2012

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 61

Second Place Hot Air

“The owner of a small kebab restaurant in Göreme, Turkey, told us to make sure we were on the top of the ridge at 5:00 am. We spent the night up above the city and woke up to hundreds of balloons in every direction.”

—Logan Havens Toquerville, Utah

62 ▶ summer 2012

Third Place Reflection

“I have family in Thailand, and I love exploring the country when I go to visit. This is a ruin in Sukhothai, the historic old capital city.”

—Alana Woodbury Carson City, Nevada

View honorable mentions and submit your own photos on our website. www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 63

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Gadgets and Gear

70

Tips and Tricks

74

Insights

79

Just the Ticket

Snag the best pedometers and suitcases for your next vacation.

Stay healthy on the go with yoga poses, healthcare hints, and vegan options.

Try these new takes on journaling, honeymooning, and experiencing foreign cultures.

Photo by Matt Buck

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www.stowawaymag.com â—€ 65

gadgets & gear

Step by Step Travel Pedometers

As Lauren Folsom was cleaning out her closet, she looked down to see her dusty, broken travel sandals. Though they were not good for walking anymore, how could she let them go? In those sandals she had walked more than 1,000 miles, in 13 countries, on 5 continents.

Count Your Steps

Pedometers in this category are simple and easy to use. They are made for those who simply want to know how many steps they have walked. Both of these models have a seven-day memory and can be worn or carried anywhere, including in a pocket or purse.

Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer, $34.99 This model is rated the #1 pedometer in Consumer Reports; its large screen makes viewing easier. ▶

www.omronwebstore.com /products/pedometers

Ozeri 4x3motion Digital Pocket Pedometer, $18.95 Small enough to fit in your pocket, the Ozeri pedometer shows daily and weekly totals on the same display. ▶

www.ozeri.com

66 ▶ spring 2013

Download Your Steps

For techies out there, these pedometers download your daily steps onto your personal computer, making it easy to keep a digital record of your steps.

Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer, $59.99 This classic, easy-to-use pedometer can be carried anywhere, including in a purse, and holds up to 42 days of data. ▶

www.omronwebstore.com /products/pedometers

Fitbit Ultra Tracker, $99.95 The Ultra Tracker wirelessly uploads your daily steps as you walk by your computer and tracks the number of floors climbed as you ascend staircases.

Its special wristband adapter tracks how well and how long you sleep. ▶

www.fitbit.com

Nike Fuelband, $149.00 The Fuelband is worn around the wrist and doubles as a watch. It is extremely motivational: when you reach your steps goal, the “Nike guy” dances across the display. The pedometer is also iPhone and iPod compatible. ▶

store.nike.com

—Angelique Bodine

Photos (from top) by Omron Inc., Zach Copely, Omron Inc., Nike Inc., Ozeri

Lauren kept track of her mileage with her sandals and a pen and paper. But you can use something a little more exact—a pedometer. A pedometer can actually encourage you to walk more, meaning a healthier you to better enjoy your travels. Here are a few pedometers that can count and track your travel.

gadgets & gear

Just in Case

Selecting Your Luggage The only time you should ever have to think about your suitcase is when you’re buying it. Cheap luggage has let down many a weary traveler; worry now so you don’t have to later. Consider the following as you start shopping.

Color

Stay away from light-colored cases, which show stains and dirt more easily, as well as common-colored ones. A CNN travel report lists black, gray, and red as colors to avoid. Cases in these colors are hard to identify at baggage claim. They are also the target of thieves, who can easily make off with a plain-colored bag without drawing attention.

Wheels

Photo by kolobsek@yandex.ru

Consider buying luggage with spinner wheels that rotate 360 degrees.

This allows the case to have a greater range of motion. Be aware that because spinning wheels are unprotected, there is a greater risk that they will get irreparably damaged in transit.

Material

There are two basic types of suitcase: fabric cases (like the standard trolley or duffle bag) and hard cases. Each type has pros and cons that need careful consideration:

Fabric cases

Fabric is the most common material for luggage, so these cases come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and prices. Fabric cases are also versatile in that they often have many pouches and compartments for organizing your belongings.

The soft material has a little give, so you can always shove in an extra Taiwanese sarong or Mickey Mouse mug. However, fabric cases are not as protective as hard cases and are more difficult to clean. Look for water- and stain-resistant

fabrics with a high denier (similar to thread count) for maximum durability. A good fabric case retails at about $100 or more.

Hard cases

The main purpose of a hard case is to protect your belongings. These cases are more durable than fabric cases and are more easily cleaned, even though they scuff and scratch more easily. In general, the colors of these cases are limited, making it difficult to get a unique one.

Additionally, their rigid shape is inflexible, and their stiff material adds a fair amount of weight to the case. Look for cases made from aluminum or polycarbonate, which strike a balance between weight and durability. Quality hard cases retail at about $200 or more.

—Kelsey Berteaux

tips ＆ tricks

Just

Open chest and hips by placing ankle on knee.

Yoga Admit it. Nobody likes being stuck in the middle of a five-seat row for 10 hours. Or being crammed between a wall and an unusually large passenger for 16 hours. Planes aren’t known for offering passengers very many comfortable positions, and those get old fast. Most travelers chalk up surviving a tedious flight to sheer force of will.

But traveling doesn’t have to be this way. Brittany Andrews, owner of the Yoga Underground studio in Provo, Utah, and yoga instructors Michelle Barnum and Alissa McNaughton share some simple exercises with Stowaway readers that not only help make traveling bearable but also help both mind and body relax on the go.

In Your Seat Breathe One of the simplest ways to relax in a stressful situation is to become

Fold forward with index and middle fingers around big toe.

70 ▶ spring 2013

Chest openers are important because they re really invigorating.

They ll breathe life back into you.

conscious of your breath. Yoga focuses on breathing because your breath helps you clear your mind and focus on your body. “It helps circulation. It helps energy levels. Breath is just everything,” says McNaughton. “In very tense situations, I have slowed down my breath, focused on it, and gone inside rather than lashing outward.”

Try lengthening your breaths.

Start by counting to four on each inhale and exhale, and then increase the length of your breaths until you get to seven or eight counts on each one. As you do the rest of these exercises, remember to focus on your breath. It will make the stretches much more effective.

Open your hips and chest This is one of Barnum’s favorite stretches to do from a sitting position. As you sit, put one ankle on the opposite knee. Sit up straight, put your hands on your knees, and push your chest forward, bending at the hips like a hinge instead of rounding your shoulders or your back. Your shoulder blades will come closer together behind you.

Out of Your Seat Fold forward

Forward folds are simple and effective for loosening the neck and lower

Photography by Christina Johnson

Breathe, counting inhales and exhales.

Plane

Just

Plane

Courtesy

Doing yoga on the plane isn t an excuse to be out of your seat the whole flight.

You should be able to do these exercises in about 10 minutes. Here are a few tips on how to be courteous while doing yoga on the plane: ▶

Be aware of those around you. Don t invade the personal space of other travelers, and stay out of the way of flight attendants.

▶

If the fasten seatbelt light is on, don t get up to do yoga. Period.

▶

If you choose to do yoga in the bathroom for privacy s sake, don t take a lot of time. Others probably need that space more than you do.

▶

Be aware of what you re wearing. If you re wearing a dress or a skirt,

Place fists on lower back and lean back to open chest.

says Barnum, please don t do these things.

I knew when others were watching that they were probably just really jealous they hadn t thought of it. back. Think back to elementary school PE, where all you had to do to prove your flexibility was touch your toes. While standing, bend over and grab your toes, or grab your elbows, or let your arms hang down. Or while bending over, interlace your fingers behind you and straighten your arms; then let them fall toward your head.

You can also shake your head yes and no to loosen your neck.

Open your chest You’d be surprised what the smallest stretch can do. “Chest openers are important because they’re really invigorating,” says Barnum. “They’ll breathe life back into you.” Stand with your feet parallel to each other,

hip-distance apart. Bring your fists to your lower back. On inhales push your chest toward the ceiling, and on exhales arch your back.

Stretch your legs and hips Lunges are the most active exercises to do on a plane; they’ll also require the biggest devil-may-care attitude toward your plane-mates. While lunging, you can stay in place or move up and down the aisles. If your plane—or your self-confidence—is big enough, move around the center grouping of seats. For variety, you can keep the back heel up, with your weight on the ball of your foot. Or you can plant it down, getting a more intense hip stretch. You can put your arms straight up or interlace your fingers above or behind you.

If you feel self-conscious, just adopt this philosophy shared by Andrews: “I knew when others were watching that they were probably just really jealous they hadn’t thought of it.” Don’t be afraid to get out of your seat and enjoy your flight.

Lunge with heel down and arms above head.

—Kathryn Brinton Lunge with heel up and fingers interlaced behind back.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 71

tips ＆ tricks

Don’t Worry, Be Healthy Most international travelers cringe at the thought of getting sick or needing to find health care in an unfamiliar place. Even if you’re not frightened by the thought of illness, the prospect of spending a couple of days in bed during your vacation might take the wind out of your sails. Follow the tips below to avoid illness and spend your trip the way you planned it.

No two places are identical in terms of health-related issues. Check out the US State Department’s website for country-specific information about health, safety, customs, and a variety of other important topics for safely traveling abroad. ▶

travel.state.gov/travel

Get Your Vaccinations

The shots you need will vary depending upon your destination. Go to the Center for Disease Control’s website to learn about the required vaccinations specific to your area of travel. ▶

www.cdc.gov/travel

Bring Your Medications

Check when your prescriptions expire and get them renewed before you leave. Be aware that customs officials may confiscate prescribed drugs that are not accompanied by a written prescription. To be safe, check the customs information on the State Department website mentioned above. Be sure that you know how and where to get a prescription refilled at your destination.

You should also learn the names of common over-the-counter drugs so you can purchase them abroad, if needed. For example,

72 ▶ spring 2013

Tylenol is actually acetaminophen.

Be aware that drugs sold over the counter in your country may require a prescription in another country, and vice versa.

Plan for Allergies

If you have any allergies, bring the necessary medications or epinephrine auto-injector with you.

During your trip, carry information about your allergies with you, such as an allergy bracelet or card, in the language of your travel destination.

Learn a few key phrases in the destination language about your allergic condition and the allergens that trigger it. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America lists several useful tips for travelers with allergies. ▶

Find Reputable Health Care Providers

If you follow these tips and still get sick, then use a trustworthy source to find a reputable doctor and hospital. If you have time, talk to trusted people, get references, and then visit establishments to get a feeling for what kind of practices they run. The CDC website is a good place to start.

—Tonya Johnson and Ryne Steinacker

www.aafa.org

Photo by Alaa Hamed

Study Up on Your Destination

tips ＆ tricks

Vegging Out of Town Are you trying to find that locally recommended guacamole bacon cheeseburger without the bacon, the cheese . . . or the burger? Finding food while traveling as a vegetarian or vegan can be a lot of work, but nobody wants to skip out on the local eats!

Kelsi Petersen, a vegan of eight years, says that planning ahead is one of the most important things to take into consideration. Before heading off on a weeklong vacation across the country, she planned when she was going to eat out and then made a list of foods and utensils she could take with her or conveniently find once she got there. If you do the work beforehand, your vacation can begin as soon as you leave your house.

Follow these five tips and tricks to enjoy a more food-friendly vacation.

1. Get familiar

The availability of some fruits and vegetables may be limited in the country you are planning to visit.

Make sure you know what produce you can expect to find. In addition, find out if your destination has farmers’ markets or sidewalk vendors, and use a global vegan website to find the location of local restaurants offering vegan and vegetarian cuisine. ▶

www.happycow.net

▶

www.vegdining.com/Home.cfm

Photo by Darwin Bell

2. Know the rules

To avoid a ruckus in the customs line, know beforehand what you can bring in and take out of the country. Check out the websites listed below for details on which fruits and vegetables are okay. Also make sure you know what food you can carry on and what

food has to be checked with the rest of your baggage. ▶

www.aphis.usda.gov/travel

▶

www.tsa.gov

3. Bring food to go

Jaylene Johnson, a vegan and rawfood chef of 11 years, suggests several travel-friendly foods: “Produce like cucumbers, peppers, avocados, carrots, oranges, and apples are easy to bring with you. So are things like trail mix, dried fruit, and crackers.” Keep in mind that TSA requires that all fruits and vegetables remain uncut and unpeeled until after you go through security. Use a soft cooler and airtight plastic containers to store your food.

To keep your food cold, take a plastic bag with you to the airport and fill it with ice once you get through security.

4. Pack smart

Pack your suitcase with a few handy tools to make foreign food prep easy.

Johnson’s favorites include a sharp

knife (in your checked luggage, of course), a lightweight cutting board, and a quart-size blender. That way, you can make meals, smoothies, and dressings in your hotel room if necessary. Don’t forget that other countries use different electrical adaptors.

5. Know the lingo

It can be helpful to double-check with the chef while eating out, but ordering vegan in a country where you don’t know the language can be especially difficult. Study up on a few key phrases in the local language.

Speaking Vegetarian: The Globetrotter’s Guide to Ordering Meatless in 197 Countries is a helpful resource. The author gives detailed pronunciation for popular words and phrases in over 100 languages. You’ll be ordering that hamburger sans fromage et boeuf in no time!

—Tara Walker

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 73

t a

k o o l g

n i h l s a e n r f r

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ld lly t ntua h you cou hat e v e s w i f w But o Scrap Scrapbooks ou ils hen y ittle deta f makw e You don’t have to pick o , e com ber the l t a ou a m sing s up your mother’s hobby ere y e h n reme t w or wi id or use of scrapbooking with you d cal friend Just beca ng lo w. uri flowery paper, paints, and ing a aking vie a diary d n a ht in funky-shaped scissors to ’t me breat n’t write n s e id se r, do document your life. One you d , howeve ment tho u rip l doc of the coolest trends l the t i t s an’t en’t es ar to recently sweep you c ies. i r a i or al d e. mem radition not alon through craft stores is p e e If t ok ’re , y o u o f w ay s t d the Smash Book. g n i th in ns your re s . F , a n d doze What are you u e t r n a e ve lls Ther u r a d s t yle , s k i smashing with said o y h r it up w t fits you journal?

While a h one t ality. you could probn o s r e p ably use it as a weapon against rogue bugs daring to cross your path, it does in fact have a much more lasting purpose.

74 ▶ summer 2012

The concept is that you, as a traveler, collect endless numbers of tickets, stubs, brochures, receipts, postcards, pictures, and other mementos during your trips.

If they’re special, you might keep them tucked away in the dark recesses of a closet or in an unofficial junk drawer until you finally decide to trash them. But with a Smash Book you can skip the pointless storage and collect these mementos all in one journal.

Official Smash Books can be found at craft stores, starting around $13. They include a special pen with glue attached, and a variety

Photo by Postcard Farm

insights

of colored and zany patterned paper.

There are various sizes and types of journals to choose from, but if you are on a budget, you can make your own cut-and-paste journal by picking up a blank notebook, a glue stick, and a Sharpie at the grocery store.

After you’ve gathered your materials, start smashing—it can be as creative or simple as you make it. Just arrange your plane tickets, photos, and stubs, then glue ’em and stick ’em on the page. If you’ve got a heavier museum pamphlet or postcard that just won’t stick, paperclip it in. For all the doodlers out there, you may have found your calling. Doodling is a key part of this journaling. Scribble art between your mementos or blurbs describing what you did. To spice things up, you can add stickers or pockets to your book.

Forget Photo Albums

Do you take gobs of photos during your trips but then never do anything with them? Photo books might be a perfect solution to your art debacle.

While the idea of a photo book isn’t new or groundbreaking, it often gets overlooked as a feasible option.

Creating a professional-looking book doesn’t have to be expensive.

With photo book–making websites popping up all over the Internet, prices are reasonable and vary from $10 to $50, depending on your customizations. If you’re not in a time crunch, pick a website with templates you like, create your book, sign up for email alerts, and then wait for a juicy coupon or sale—you can often save at least 20% on your purchase.

And don’t count this option out just because you’ve never put together a book before. With sites like Shutterfly.com and Snapfish.com, there are hundreds of templates that allow you to easily personalize your book. All you have to do is “drop” your photos into the template, and you get an awesome coffee-table book that shows off your publishing skills.

If you want to take publishing a step further, similar websites like Lulu.com can help you compile your photos and journal entries into a regular book.

A compilation of personal travels can be a great gift for family or friends.

Hail High-Def

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth ten thousand words.

For the tech savvy traveler, high-definition video journals are a cinch if you’ve got a smartphone, tablet, or compact camcorder with you. Whether you’re hitting up landmarks or waiting for a flight, shoot some video with personal commentary detailing your day.

Down the road, your friends and family can watch your video diaries and travel the world with you.

Apps like iMovie, Viddy, and AndroMedia allow you to edit video on a portable device. If you’re not familiar with shooting and editing video, don’t worry. Almost all of these apps include demos or step-by-step instructions, so even the most novice user can make professional-looking videos.

If you’re traveling for an extended period of time, post videos on a multimedia diary app or blog or post them to a personal YouTube channel so family and friends can vicariously live through your adventures.

—Jordan Carroll

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insights

Honeymooning

Customize this route with destinations that are tailored to your interests and hobbies.

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Be Flexible

Before you set out on your own highway honeymoon, decide on at least one location within driving distance that you want to visit. Customize this route with destinations that are tailored to your interests and hobbies. Once you’ve chosen one or two destinations, you can plan your highway route from there—but for once, plan to take the scenic route.

On previous road trips, you may have passed interesting historical sites or kitschy roadside attractions like “The World’s Largest Ball of Yarn” but didn’t have time to stop. Your honeymoon is the perfect opportunity to do something out of the ordinary— just remember that the journey is the most important thing. “We got to bond. We got to talk a lot,” says Natalie. “From that car ride, a lot of good inside jokes came that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”

Make It a Tradition

Perhaps the best part about a honeymoon road trip is that you can easily revisit your honeymoon. You may not be able to go back to Costa Rica or Hawaii, but if you choose to highway honeymoon, you can always load up the car, enjoy great conversation, and remember some of your greatest times together as a couple. By listening to a playlist that you enjoyed on your road trip or by bringing up an inside joke that reminds you of that kooky motel you stayed in, you can remember your honeymoon in a way that other honeymooners may not be able to.

The time you spend and the fun you have together in the car after your wedding will bring you closer as a couple—and you can recreate it any time you are in the mood for an adventure.

—Lindsey Encinas

Photo by LisaGage.com

Natalie Thomson and her husband, Kelly, pulled their rental car off the main road in Mesquite, Nevada, onto an obscure street that led them to a dark bowling alley. As they stepped inside, they were greeted—sort of— by a sheet of smoke and stares from the regular bowling alley patrons.

The couple looked at each other—and grinned. They had found a perfect stop on their honeymoon road trip.

When Natalie and Kelly started planning their honeymoon, they realized that they would need to find an alternative to expensive airfare for a destination honeymoon. But there were plenty of destinations within driving distance, so they set out on a highway honeymoon with Las Vegas and Disneyland on their itinerary.

They had one rule: they wouldn’t be afraid to stop anywhere that piqued their sense of adventure. It was this mindset that led them to that dark, smoky bowling alley in Mesquite, now one of their most memorable honeymoon pit stops.

Many young newlyweds don’t have the luxury of jet-setting to a distant locale after they say “I do,” or maybe they don’t want to settle on just one location for their honeymoon. For creative couples with a sense of adventure, highway honeymooning is right up their alley.

Here are a couple of pointers for would-be highway honeymooners.

insights

EthnicTourism (Or How to Be an Ethical Ethnic Tourist)

Photo by Stuart Barr

One of the best ways to really know a culture is to get to know its people.

Zachary Davis, a graduate student studying at Cambridge, explains it this way: “Tourist sites get boring, but living among people is fascinating.”

For Davis and many others, traditional tourist sites just aren’t enough. Instead, such travelers seek out cultural immersion experiences and close encounters with people from very different parts of the world. Enter a new industry: ethnic tourism. Ethnic tourism provides firsthand experiences with unfamiliar peoples or cultures. From tours through local villages, to cultural programs featuring traditional dances, to roadside stands selling native jewelry, ethnic tourism offers a little of everything.

Because these kinds of attractions allow travelers to learn about other ways of life, ethnic tourism can often be very rewarding; however, it also has the potential to belittle or exploit local cultures.

Thus, getting to know a different culture up close requires extra effort and careful planning. Follow these tips so you can be an ethical ethnic tourist and get the most out of your experience.

Ethnic tourism can allow visitors to experience, rather than simply see, local culture, such as the daily life of workers in Thailand s rice fields.

www.stowawaymag.com ◀ 77

As you interact with other cultures, focus on establishing personal connections. Recognize that each person you come in contact with is an individual worth getting to know. Ask the locals questions. Find out about their families and their work. In addition, allow them the opportunity to get to know you. Treating ethnic tourism as a cultural exchange softens the sense that one culture is somehow “on parade” for the other.

Pema Lhamo, a woman living in Dharamshala, India, frequently rents rooms in her home to travelers. Guests who live with her family eat Tibetan food and learn about Tibetan language and religion. Lhamo is eager to share her world, but she also enjoys learning about her guests. “I have had people from India, Israel, America, France, England, Korea, and many places,” she says. “I like to ask them where they are from and what their families are like.”

Do your research

There’s no better way to put a damper on those great interpersonal connections than to inadvertently insult the culture or practices of your new friends. With ethnic tourism, you will encounter cultures on a much closer level, so there will be more opportunities for misunderstanding. Make sure you know something about the culture before you rush in to experience it up close and personal.

Remember that most people are as proud of their culture, heritage, and way of life as you are about yours. Learn about the customs and beliefs of the area you plan to visit, especially about sensitive issues such as dress and religion.

Researching an area before you arrive will not only help you be respectful, but it can also help you avoid exploiting others. There is a difference between the visitor who seeks to be entertained by something new and shocking—and the visitor who seeks to learn. If you research in

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advance, you will be ready to interact with others and learn from their particular way of living.

Specific information on different cultures can be found in guidebooks, embassy websites, and anthropological reports and research studies. One of the best ways to prepare, however, is to talk to those who have already visited your travel destination or were once residents there.

Find out where the money is going

Ethnic tourism can be a great way to stimulate local economies, all while helping preserve traditional cultures and environments.

For example, Reinato, a middleaged tour guide in Thailand, makes his living by guiding foreigners through hill tribe villages and forests.

In Reinato’s case, taking foreigners “trekking” has saved him and his family from financial despair. “I was very lucky to find this work and lucky that I was able to learn English,” he says.

“My life has gotten a lot better.”

Reinato says that most people in his neighborhood are farmers, but farming wasn’t an option for him because he hadn’t inherited any land. He says he spoke with his wife and decided to do trekking. The money he earns helps pay for his family’s medical needs and his daughter’s university expenses.

On the other hand, in some ethnic tourism ventures, the majority of revenue does not go to the local people. For example, scholar Yang Li

has identified certain government-run “ethnic amusement parks” that give the majority of the profits to the government rather than to the local people.

Each ethnic tourism experience is unique, so keep your eyes open and find out beforehand where your money is going. As an ethical ethnic tourist, you should understand who and what you are supporting—whether you are supporting locals and a way of life they want to preserve, or whether you are supporting entities or individuals that are exploiting a way of life for someone else’s financial gain.

Be brave and try new things

As you make the effort to be a courteous and careful ethnic tourist, do your best to accept new experiences that come your way. Attend local events and festivals. Ask shopkeepers the best places to eat and restaurant workers the best places to shop. When your host family serves up a delicacy you’ve never thought of eating before, take a deep breath and a big bite.

With these tips in mind, you will be on your way to experiencing the world with new eyes. Rather than checking off lists and planning perfect itineraries, you can experience unfamiliar environments on a much deeper level—all as an ethical ethnic tourist. ▶

www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0160738310001295

—Emily Bell and Tonya Johnson

A girl from the Karen tribe provides for her family by selling handmade scarves to tourists.

Photo by Sydney Tong

Facilitate personal connections

just the ticket

Get Your Group-On Travel Deals

Local Deals

Average percent saved:

Average dollars saved:

Travel by Coupon

Group coupons are the latest trend in cheap travel. Third-party brokering companies, like Groupon and Living Social Deals, negotiate group rates that anyone can tap into. Think of it like shopping for cereal or pasta; if the store can sell it in bulk, the price per unit decreases. By guaranteeing a minimum number of customers, such companies can save you up to 50% (sometimes more) on food, hotels, excursions, and other trip-related expenses.

—Kelsey Berteaux

Make the Most of It

Most group coupon sites offer daily deals tailored to a specific geographic area. Just sign up for email or text notifications for areas you’re interested in traveling to, and then peruse potential deals at your leisure as you plan your vacation.

Another way to take advantage of these sites is by inviting friends to buy deals, which often earns you free credits or vouchers. For example, Groupon .com will give you $10 in “Groupon Bucks” for every friend you invite.

Livingsocial.com will give you a free voucher for your purchase if you get three more people to buy the same deal.

Stacie Davis, a dedicated Groupon user, says, “I’m always trying to invite people to use Groupon.

The deals are good for them, and I get Groupon Bucks. Everybody wins.”

Save More with Travel Deals

Apart from local deals, group coupon sites also offer specific travel content, like Groupon’s Getaways or LivingSocial’s Escapes. You can’t predict the featured deals, but if you can find one that suits your pre-planned vacation, you can easily save hundreds of dollars. Katy and Cory Cunningham, a newly married couple that can travel only on a tight budget, often look for travel deals.

Finding a great coupon is “not something that we’re counting on; it’s a bonus,” they say.

You can also let the deals themselves guide your traveling. If you decide to travel this way, be flexible; deal destinations can be as farranging as Hawaii, Ireland, Tanzania, China, Paris, or the Caribbean.

Take the Plunge

Newbies to group couponing might feel unsure of the process and worry about the trustworthiness of the service. Simon Goodall, vice president and general manager of travel for Groupon, assures hesitant Groupon Getaway users that each destination is carefully researched and the price negotiated to bring them the best deal. He also mentions that, if all else fails, return and exchange policies are flexible, with most group coupon sites (like Groupon) offering refunds if booking doesn’t work out.

Don’t worry that your deals are ripping merchants off. In reality, they benefit from group coupons too: they are a marketing tool that helps travelers like you enjoy great services at amazingly low prices. As Davis succinctly states, “Everybody wins.”

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escapades

Soak It Up

Hot Springs and Bathhouses In between touring, hiking, or sightseeing this spring, take advantage of a bathhouse or natural hot spring to soothe your travel-worn muscles.

Check out these particularly appealing options to help you soak in the surrounding culture.

—Dana Kendall and Tara Walker

Chena Hot Springs

Xcaret Temazcal

Steal away late at night to this hot spring that lies at the heart of the beautiful forested valley near the Chena River. Here you can watch a mesmerizing display of the northern lights. Most often viewable from August to April—in total about 200 nights a year—the aurora borealis can be seen from either the outdoor springs or the indoor tub observation areas. The hot spring, far away from any city-light pollution, is at the end of a 60-mile scenic roadway. Take this chance to swim beneath the northern lights and to catch a glimpse of Alaskan moose, beavers, bears, and woodpeckers.

Found in Guatemala and Mexico, the temazcal (steam house) is the Mayan’s version of the Finnish sauna. The whole experience takes place in a stone hut and involves pouring aromatic water over hot volcanic stones.

After the sauna portion, you can take a dip in a cool freshwater pool. Check out the Xcaret Temazcal located on the Riviera Maya in Mexico. It’s the perfect place to sweat out impurities and relax with friends and family. You are provided with a fresh towel and bottled water, but bring your own bathing suit.

Fairbanks, Alaska

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$10

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www.chenahotsprings.com

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Riviera Maya, Mexico

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576 pesos ($45)

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www.experiencexcaret.com/xcaret -activities/xcaret-temazcal-a-ritual -to-mind-and-soul-purification

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa Reykjanes, Iceland

Perhaps no other hot spring has such a captivating harmony of natural beauty and complementary architecture. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa located in an Icelandic lava formation between the Eurasian and American tectonic plates. You can spend an afternoon soaking in the clean blue water, which is said to produce healing effects for skin conditions. You are even provided with white silica mud to exfoliate your skin. A 40-minute guided tour gives you the full story of how this wonder of the world was formed. ▶

35 euros ($45)

▶

www.bluelagoon.com

Sandunovskiye Baths

Photo by Peter Nijenhuis

Moscow, Russia

Moscow is home to some of the most famous Russian banyas (bathhouses).

Stop by the Sandunovskiye Baths and be treated to an ancient tradition.

First undress and rinse off in segregated showers, and then join others of your gender in a sauna. Afterward, head to the steam room where, if you can withstand the heat, you sit for eight to twelve minutes. Next, get ready to whip your own skin with a bundle of birch branches called venik, thought to increase circulation and improve skin with their oils. Finally, take a dip in an ice-cold pool to close your pores. Offer the phrase s lyogkim parom, meaning “I hope your steam was easy,” and then lather, rinse, and repeat the whole process again until you are content.

Silloam Jimjilbang Seoul, Korea

If you’re looking for a new and inexpensive way to spend the night in Seoul, try the jimjilbang. A more modern take on the traditional bathhouse, the jimjilbang is open 24 hours a day and offers you a chance to really interact with the locals. After enjoying a gender-segregated bath, you are welcome to put on pajamas (that are supplied to you) and then mingle with members of the opposite sex. There’s no lack of entertainment here. You can watch a movie, play games, or access the Internet. Eating is also part of the fun at Silloam and other bathhouses like it; they offer foods like the traditional saunabaked egg. At any point during the stay, you can bed down for the night on a mat in one of the jimjilbang’s sleeping rooms.

▶

1000 rubles ($29)

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10,000 won ($10)

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www.sanduny.ru

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www.silloamsauna.com

Jigokudani Hot Springs Nagano, Japan

In this onsen (hot spring), not only can you catch glimpses of Japanese snow monkeys, but you might also get to swim with them. The monkeys, year-round residents, use the spring to keep warm during the winter months and do not seem to mind sharing the water with human visitors. The site is out of the way from popular spots and requires a hike to get there, but this may be just the ticket for primate lovers. Bring a swimsuit and pay special attention to etiquette here: these particular locals don’t do well with strangers trying to pet them. ▶

500 yen ($7)

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www.japaneseguesthouses.com /db/nagano/korakukan.htm

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staff essay

Finding Myself

A Doppelgänger Story Once, as a student in Berlin, I saw myself. Or someone very like me, at least. He was standing above the subway entrance outside my favorite café. With an ever-growing sense of the uncanny, I noticed that he and I were the same height and weight. We had the same curly brown hair. We both wore tweed coats, blue button-up shirts, faded jeans, tan suede shoes, and similar glasses. Oh—and our faces were exactly the same.

One of the classic German horror tropes is the Doppelgänger, the “double walker.” The great German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe himself claimed to have seen his double as he was riding to Drusenheim. Goethe looked on the encounter with fondness, and for a long time, I couldn’t understand why. A doppelgänger is often an omen of impending death and doom, and as one who has actually had a run-in with a doppelgänger, I can testify that it is, at the very least, unsettling.

My encounter with my double sparked a fight-or-flight response in me. Our eyes met, and we held each other’s gaze for an uncomfortable length of time before I plunged down the stairs to the subway platform, where I hid in the crowd and then behind a pillar.

Then he came darting down the same stairs. At first I thought I was

paranoid, but it became evident that he was not there for the train—he was looking for me. He was weaving between pillars and people right up until the train came. I jumped on the train, still watching him through the window. Our eyes met again.

He waved. The train rolled out of the station.

I’ve spent some time thinking about that encounter with my ghostly other and about my varied experiences as a student in Berlin.

Waxing philosophical, I’d argue that when we spend enough time in a foreign land, we become our own “double walkers.” We are still ourselves, but we gradually change the way we speak, act, eat, and live. We aren’t who we once were.

Initially that process of change can be jarring, humiliating, and terrifying. But actually, this experience is a gift. How often do we get to live a

second life? There’s a French proverb that goes, Apprendre une langue, c’est vivre de nouveau (to learn a language is to live anew). As with language, so with culture. When we’ve spent enough time with a place that we start to speak its language or adopt its culture, we’ve lived anew. When these opportunities present themselves for us to see the world and ourselves from a new perspective, we shouldn’t run from them.

As odd as it may sound, I deeply regret fleeing from my doppelgänger.

I hope to go back to that corner just south of Potsdamer Platz, outside Balzac’s Coffee. On some looming autumn evening, I hope to see him again. This time, I’ll offer to buy him a steaming mug of Belgian orange hot chocolate. I’m sure it’s his favorite.

—Michael Wyatt

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Parting Shot “Before I arrived in Athens, I had no idea how huge the modern city was. This shot captures a view of that expansive cityscape from the ancient ruins of the Acropolis, near the Parthenon.”

—Michael Wyatt

84 ▶ summer 2012

The smallest change can make the biggest difference.

Live, learn, and work with a community overseas.

Be a Volunteer.

peacecorps.gov