TERRA
TRAVELERS
Extraordinary Findings in the World of Travel
Vol. 3 | April 2020
The
ULTIMATE VIRTUAL ACTIVITY
Guide
PLUS
Hobbies & Skills to Learn to Enhance your Next Trip
Our Top Bucket List Destinations
Travel Movies to Scratch Those Itchy Feet
Publisher’s Letter
A Bit of Courage “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt The last few weeks have been difficult. The travel industry like all others will suffer greatly from the long standstill as it stretches into the summer months as it is almost certain to do. With far too much time on our hands right now, it can be tough to keep our spirits afloat, surrounded by so much threat and difficult news, isolated in our homes. I collect heroes. In times like ours, I turn to them for a bit of courage. When I need additional inspiration, I often think of generations past. I think of the bombing of London during World War II where the population found the courage to endure nights spent in subway tunnels with little to eat and bombs dropping from the air. I think of the courage on display in the Rosie the Riviter poster. I’m inspired by women like Irena Sendler, the Polish Resistance fighter who saved more than 2,500 children from the Nazis. She was caught and tortured, her legs broken, but survived by escaping on the day of her scheduled execution. I think of the police and firemen who
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rushed into the World Trade Center and sacrificed themselves to save others. Right now we have a lot of heroes to admire. The doctors and nurses, the techs and cleaning staff in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Suddenly we realize the people who are preparing food and stocking grocery store shelves are essential. Sometimes heroism is just doing your job under the most difficult of circumstances. Most of us never have to publicly display our courage. We typically have the great good fortune of placid times, of business as usual. Then, an event like the Covid-19 pandemic puts us to the test. On the other side of all this is a new opportunity to rise again to the challenges of democracy and to re-build our economy. It is going to require a great deal of courage, determination and a lot of backbone in the face of some serious obstacles. But re-build we can and will do, as long as we keep our courage and our wits in good order. Stay strong, friends. We all have many fine examples of courage to emulate. You yourself are the product of some 50,000 years of human development and 4 billion years of planetary history. You and your ancestors are survivors. What we are experiencing now is just one more stumble in that same long process, but we have stumbled before and moved forward. We will do it again. Hang in there.
TERRA TRAVELERS
EXTRAORDINARY FINDINGS IN TRAVEL
PUBLISHER Richard B. Earls
EDITOR Elizabeth Cody
AUTHORS Elizabeth Cody Joey Deloach Ryan Earls Richard B. Earls
EDITORIAL & CREATIVE DESIGN Mariana Saca
MARKETING EXECUTIVES Randi White
CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Brooke Van Wyk Taylor Enos Mariana Saca
CUSTOMER SERVICE Erin von Scherrer
Terra Travelers seeks to inspire a community of likeminded individuals that respect the road, respect the people we visit, and those with whom we travel.
60 Second Geography: Reykjavik, Iceland In mid-summer, there is close to 24 hours of daylight, a pleasant resource in a land so oriented to being outdoors. The summers in Iceland are short, and the inhabitants make good use of every moment. Reykjavik has the unassuming look of a small town somewhere in Colorado more than it does a national capital. Yet, the essence of its Viking heritage is unavoidable and, unlike many of Europe’s larger cities, Reykjavik exudes a sense of place that leaves no doubt about its Scandinavian identity. Indeed, few cultures
on the planet today are as homogeneous as the native Icelanders. There has been very little immigration for more than 1,000 years when the first Vikings arrived, and nearly 80% of the population can trace their family histories back to the original settlers. No easy task considering there are no family names. If your first name is “Robert” your son will be “Robertsson”. Better than 85% of the males on the island share a genetic make-up with modern day Norwegians. Interestingly, however, more than 60% of the females share genetics with modern women from Ireland and Scotland. Iceland represents the first and longest existing parliament government, formed in 930 AD. In the year 999 AD, the country peacefully, though
under some force of threat, transitioned to Christianity from the old Norse religion – Odin, Thor and the rest of the Asgard pantheon. The state church now is Lutheran, but the pagan religion is still observed in the organized church of Ásatrú. The once expansive forests of Iceland are now gone, the victim of exploitation by humans and the impact of successive volcano eruptions through the centuries. Much of the topsoil disappeared as well and attempts to re-forest with birches are evident everywhere along the way. Groves of birch trees spring up around clusters of summer homes in the country. Approximately 11% of Iceland is covered by glaciers, and from the cliffs
overlooking Gullfoss the Langjökull Glacier occupies much of the horizon. It is this glacier whose melting waters fill the Hvítá River. The Icelandic word geysir (“to gush”), from which the English word geyser is derived, is the name of one particular geyser. The water is still active and signs caution against trespassing too close to the geysers or treading across the lightly colored ground. Many hikers in the area have been badly burned when their feet broke through the clay surface into chambers of soil and water.
What’s inside...
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Travel Movies to Scratch Those Itchy Feet
Our Top Bucket List Destination
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Read These 5 Things While You Still Have Time
10 Hobbies & Skills to Learn in Quarantine
Binge TV
Virtual Experiences
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Travel Movi With the invention of the internet came many wonderful luxuries. One of those is the ability to watch movies at any time we want regardless of what’s available in the theaters or, as the ancient ones such as myself can remember, video rental stores. Now, with a good portion of us having plenty of time on our hands at home, this seems a godsend. Particularly if you are used to traveling. There’s nothing quite like the journey of travel. The changes it inspires in us can be gamechanger, as our minds open to greater possibilities. Well, lucky for you, in today’s article we’ll be discussing the movies that feature travel as the primary theme. Those films that scratch the itchy feet ready to get out and see the world in all its glory.
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ies to Scratch Those Itchy Feet a bit chaotic. These can be transformative, leading to fond memories. Granted this typically in retrospect. Starring the legendary Bill Murray and talented Scarlet Johanson, this film runs deep. Two married people meet each other at a bar late at night. Their insomnia keeping them up with worry and the problems we all share. They open up to each other about their lives. Miscommunication, loneliness, appreciation of small Motorcycle Diaries You’ve already assumed its about moments, culture shock, and finding those deep connections someone on a motorcycle, and rightly so. However, this journey in others are all explored. The megacity of Tokyo as the is based on the journals of a backdrop adds to the film’s twenty-three year old Ernesto Guevara — later known as Che allure. Guevara. It is a roadtrip movie that recounts Ernesto roaming the countrysides, coming to age through experiences with the poorer classes of pre-revolution Cuba.
National Lampoon’s Vacation
Lost in Translation
Culture shock and language issues can make traveling
The American road trip. It is a legacy throughout American culture. And this movie is a hilarious and wild ride on the classic highways of the United States. The clueless father, played by Chevy Chase, is trying
his best to get the family to the Wally World theme park… but nothing seems to be going right. This movie is a staple in the comedic road trip genre, and anyone who’s been on this kind of trip will laugh at the gags.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Another comedic break in the form of travel mishaps, this movie follows two businessmen (strangers) trying to make it home over the hurdles of flight cancellations and missed departures. The comedy gold of this film is in how these two vastly different people interact with each other in times of travel crisis. From Steve Martin’s (un)likable wit to John Candy’s wacky antics, to them sleeping in the same motel bed, it is touching and uproarious all at once.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joey Deloach
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
A Walk in the Woods
Based on the book by Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods Starring Ben Stiller, and based on is a reconnection of old friends a short story by James Thurber, while hiking the Appalachian this film is the tale of a Life Trail. Both are out of shape and Magazine employee who works getting up in age but decide to in the film archive. While he hit the trail anyway. They are processes the award-winning quickly overtaken on the trail photos of an adventurous by younger, more fit, hikers. photographer, he daydreams of The film shows that, no matter being more – experiencing the your age or abilities, adventures exciting opportunities that life are everywhere. Bryson’s wit, holds. Walter gets his chance combined with the renowned when a photo negative comes talents of Robert Redford and up missing and he has to search Nick Nolte, is a solid choice for for it. The Secret Life of Walter quality viewing that adds a little Mitty is a film that taps into light fun to the travel movie our thirst of conquering fears genre. that prevent us from being fully realized, and how tiny and pathetic those fears really are. Being unable to travel doesn’t mean that the mind has to stay still. Our imaginations, spurred on by the themes of travel and the imagery of foreign places to fortify it, can be a form of traveling to the most faraway and stunning places. These movies, and many more, have an ability to inspire the wandering spirit – to help us heed the call of journeys that await us. 8 || Terra Travelers
Taking a shine to the written word early in life, Joey has been writing content within the travel industry for almost three years. His focus is in showcasing the aspects of travel that are often overlooked, as destinations are more than a place to go… they are also a chance to experience life from different perspectives. He is currently the Chief Editor and writer for Travel Research Online.
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OUR TOP BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS Elizabeth Cody Just because we’re all chilling out at home right now doesn’t mean we can’t get in some quality travel planning! Now is a great time to build your bucket list and virtually explore the greatest destinations on our beautiful planet. Check out our top picks below and start creating your own must-see travel list today!
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MONTREAL, CANADA
Montreal is a little slice of Europe hidden in quintessential North America. This city in French Canada brings together the charm of Paris with Canada’s reputation for diversity and a welcoming atmosphere. Montreal prides itself on an exceptional arts scene, with plenty of festivals, exhibitions, and live performances available any time of the year! Montreal is also a striking beauty, and she knows it; from European-inspired architecture to dazzling crimson and orange leaves in the fall, the city is all about indulging in the best life has to offer in one of the most gorgeous settings in the world! 10 || Terra Travelers
PROVENCE, FRANCE
While many travelers dream of a night out in Paris, one of the best areas to truly experience France is the region of Provence. This beautiful slice of French countryside borders the Mediterranean Sea and the country of Monaco to the south, with the border to Italy in the east. Provence has multiple inviting villages and towns along sun-soaked Mediterranean beaches and lavender-scented fields. You can choose to wander through local markets and sampling the local delicacies, explore Provence’s wine route, or just relax on the warm sands!
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BALI, INDONESIA
SINGAPORE
Considered the melting pot of Asia, Singapore has become one of the continent’s must-see destinations in recent years. From a dynamic food scene to luxurious metropolitan shopping centers, Singapore is the very definition of indulgence and extravagance. Treat yourself to a day at the Singapore Zoo or strolling along the city’s green-lined streets, as lush with plant life as opulent architecture. Singapore is ready to match you at your pace, whether you need an easy escape or a wild urban party!
MYKONOS, GREECE
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In the Cyclades Islands lies Mykonos, a stunning jewel of an isle surrounded by turquoise waters and frosted by white and blue buildings. Mykonos is a true party town, popular with both early rising beachlovers and enthusiastic night owls alike. History buffs more interested in the past than the present will also find plenty to do, with excursions to the nearby archaeological ruins of Delos leaving regularly from Mykonos and the district of Little Venice, featuring architecture from the 18th century. It’s no wonder Mykonos is a favorite of celebrities and high-flyers around the world. It’s a must for any bucket list!
Bali has become synonymous with images of luxurious villas and resorts lining sugar-sand beaches, framed by abundant tropical forests. Bali is a favorite with couples looking for a romantic getaway or families seeking a fun adventure together. Choose from scuba diving in crystal-clear waters, surfing on amazing waves, biking through Bali’s forests, and even dancing through the night at one of the island’s many clubs and bars. No matter what you’re hungry for on your next vacation, Bali can provide in abundance!
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REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
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Considered the melting pot of Asia, Singapore has become one of the continent’s must-see destinations in recent years. From a dynamic food scene to luxurious metropolitan shopping centers, Singapore is the very definition of indulgence and extravagance. Treat yourself to a day at the Singapore Zoo or strolling along the city’s green-lined streets, as lush with plant life as opulent architecture. Singapore is ready to match you at your pace, whether you need an easy escape or a wild urban party! Terra Travelers || 11
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
If you’re looking for a powerful foray into the heart of Africa, look no further than Cape Town, South Africa. This city blends the best of urban convenience with a reverence for the natural world, best exemplified by its extraordinary wine industry and the backdrop of Table Mountain. Here you’ll walk in the footsteps of President Nelson Mandela, who fought for decades for the end of apartheid in South Africa, including spending 27 years in prison, before winning the presidency in 1994. Cape Town offers an opportunity to nourish your body, soul, and mind, with delicious wines and cuisines, a rich history admired around the world, and stunning natural parks that celebrate the local wildlife and landscape.
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TODOS SANTOS, MEXICO
Probably one of the most unusual little towns in sunny Mexico is Todos Santos, located in Baja California. Todos Santos tends to be quieter than the more popular tourist areas but is still filled with plenty of what makes Mexico such a beloved destination. The beaches here are less cluttered and perfect for surfing and strolling, and the town is lined with cobblestone streets flocked by art galleries, restaurants, and cute boutiques. This is the perfect destination for those eager to avoid crowds, especially honeymooners and anyone looking for an intimate getaway!
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
The Southern United States is the perfect destination for anyone interested in the arts, and Savannah, Georgia is the hub of it all! This stunningly elegant city, lined with picturesque oak trees draped in Spanish moss, is the home of the Girl Scouts and trolley tours. Like all of the Southern states, you’ll find indulgent cuisine here inspired by the region’s history of French, Spanish, Native American, Creole, and African influences. Cathedrals and intricately built architecture make the city feel as if it would be equally as home in an ancient European square rather than the younger United States. If you truly want to see the best of Savannah and the South, consider taking a river cruise on American Cruise Lines! Other Southern highlights you’ll see on an American Cruise Line expedition include St. Augustine, Florida; Charleston, New Orleans, Louisiana; Charleston, South Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia. 12 || Terra Travelers
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PATAGONIA
At the bottom of the world is the breathtakingly grand region of Patagonia. This relatively untouched part of the world encompasses both Argentina and Chile and borders Antarctica. Cruise lines have begun sending more expedition and eco-cruises here for their guests to learn about the local wildlife and environment. In the two major national parks, the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and the Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina, you will have the opportunity to hike glaciers and ancient trails, watch massive whales breach the frigid waters, or take photos of the Big Five: pumas, guanacos, huemuls, Andean condors, and reah birds. If you want adventure in one of the last of the world’s frontiers, add Patagonia to your bucket list now!
10 YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
If you need wide-open spaces once the quarantine is over, then pack up your camping gear and head over to California! Yosemite National Park is one of the country’s top national parks, and for good reason: giant Sequoia trees, roaring waterfalls, and leisurely hiking trails draw in millions of visitors every year. But if you would like to stay away from the crowds while you soak in some much-needed nature, try the 13-mile Valley Floor Loop Trail which is a relatively flat path that takes you past some of the best sights in the park and tends to be overlooked by most visitors. Yosemite is popular and tends to fill up early, so now is the perfect time to book your camping spot for next year!
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As a global community, we will get through this period of enforced isolation and strain. Take this time to really examine what is important to you as a traveler and what destinations match your needs. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box; you’ll be amazing what you find!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth Cody
Elizabeth Cody is a Florida native and graduate of the Florida State University College of English Creative Writing Program. She lives in Tallahassee where she spends her time cooking, writing, and building her travel bucket list. Terra Travelers || 13
QUICK, READ THESE 5 THINGS WHILE YOU STILL HAVE TIME
S
So, you’re on what feels like day 857 of quarantine. You find yourself for the first time without anything left to “put off ‘till another day”. The word “procrastination” has lost all meaning.
And don’t worry if the thought of ‘reading about reading something else’ seems like an exercise in ironic futility - just remember you literally (correct usage) have absolutely nothing else do.
unless your in college then 1 semester
Where am I going: Paris, France, Hemingway’s Actual Mind
The Hubbub: A beautiful,
But then you spot it. We’ve all got one. It’s that relic that finds itself sitting in your corner acting more like an accent piece than what it actually is - a portal to whereabouts unknown. No silly, I’m not talking about the crack in the universe that seems to be our current reality - I am talking about your bookshelf. You know, that dusty old artifact you can’t wait to show people when they come over but seem to forget about as soon as they leave.
albeit accidental, fictitious So now that I have your autobiography of a real person undivided attention, may I that takes place post WW1 in the present in no particular order, the heart of France. Our anti-hero following… finds himself, both physically and mentally, in both the roaring 20s and in 20 short scenes. Let me better explain, A Movable Feast is a series of memoirs and stories that Hemingway wrote but weren’t actually published till after his timely death. Don’t miss this sui generis look into the mind of an author, a city, and an exquisite time period.
But I digress, so let’s talk about some great new books that you will buy and never read (even though you should because they are so good they will make you beg to stay in quarantine)!
Title: A Moveable Feast Author: Ernest Hemingway Time To Read: 2 days
Ryan
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Earls
What This Book Says About Me When It’s On My Shelf: I am a
Francophile and enjoy nostalgia over a glass of Beaujolais.
Ryan Earls
follow Bill strolling around a Author: Frances Mayes small island tackling the question Time To Read: the question on everyone’s Approximately One Midlife Crisis mind (especially Gandhi) - what Where am I going: makes the British so British. Italy and inside another author’s What This Book mind
Says About Me When It’s On My Shelf:
Title: Notes from a Small
I’m a lovable grump with an appreciation for poignant social commentary. Oh, and that you like to travel.
Island
Author: Bill Bryson Time To Read: One
uninterrupted morning before taking High Tea with the Queen
quintessential quarantine book because what happen when life gives you lemons, you exchange them for Lira and move to Italy (except you can’t do that now #StayHome). Much like a more modern version of A Moveable Feast, this book is another collection of memoir observation from a stranger in a strange land.
What This Book Says About Me When It’s On My Shelf: I’m in
Where am I going: Merry Ole England
The Hubbub: Enjoy the
insightful, and sometimes ironic, observations of a brilliant American novelist as he observes a small island circa 1995. You will be utterly enthralled by keen wit as you
The Hubbub: The
Title: Under The Tuscan
Sun
touch with my feminine side, or my girlfriend left me with a copy instead of a “Dear John” letter when she moved to Italy unexpectedly.
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the essence of murder-crimedetective genre. Follow none other than the world renowned Hercule Poirot, as he finds himself caught up in a series of mysterious intrigues surrounding the death of an attractive socialite. Spoiler Alert: Poirot always get his man (or woman)
Title: Death on the Nile Author: Agatha Christie Time To Read:
Approximately one plane ride to the Middle East
Where am I going: The Western Stereotype of Egypt
The Hubbub: Don’t be in
What This Book Says About Me When It’s On My Shelf: Apart from
the obvious love for the ‘Queen of Mystery’ it also send subtext that you think your friend is the murderer.
Title: The Sex Lives of
Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific
‘de-Nile’ of the engrossing nature of this book just because it been Author: Maarten Troost around since the 1930’s. Such Time To Read: As quick a rare gem, this book captures as you can read 288 pages in
one sitting
Where am I going: “The Worst Place on Earth”
The Hubbub: If you don’t
mind looking like a crazy person laughing out loud at a book then this novel is a must read. Follow the 26 year old Maarten as he spends two years losing and finding himself on the island nation of Kiribati. A true testament to why you use a travel
agent because the brochure is not always what it seems. While more of a travelogues than a memoir, this book will make you appreciate the little things inside your quarantine kingdom.
nothing to do with this article)
Time To Read: As long as
it takes us…err, I mean them, to write it live.
Where am I going:
Globetrotting (via plane, boat,
What This Book Says automobile, train, hot air balloon About Me When It’s and more) On My Shelf: It’s funny The Hubbub: Basically
and edgy - and to the uneducated the real life adventures of a might be a little kinky. Oh and father and son that is the perfect that you like unnecessarily long modern day amalgamation of titles. all the books listed above. Join this dynamic duo on ***Bonus their adventures, Read*** both solo and apart, Title: Two Truths as they encounter and a Lie: Travel the most scary Edition antagonist of them all - the human Authors: A experience. completely fictional father and son (ones that definitely have
What This Book Says
About Me When It’s On My Shelf: It won’t be
on shelves - so no one can judge you for reading it (unless they are checking your browser history but in that case you have bigger fish to fry - see Death on the Nile)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ryan Earls
Before taking this noble scribing job, Ryan used to explore the unknown in his 1967 Chevy Tardis which he lovingly named Serenity. Along the way he picked up side jobs such as being one of the travel industry’s top gurus on social media and marketing. Currently you can’t find him because he is hold up in quarantine like everyone else.
10 HOBBIES & SKILLS ...you can learn in quarantine to enhance your next trip Elizabeth Cody 18 || Terra Travelers
If you’re running out of ideas of what to do with yourself while in quarantine, consider getting a head start on learning some skills that will make your next trip your best one yet!
with locals. There are plenty of free and low-cost online resources for aspiring linguists, and we’ve included a short list below:
Reddit Language Learning and Language Exchange: Two free subreddits that connect people around The most important skill you the world looking to learn can learn right now for your languages. Language next trip is a new language! Exchange helps language If you already know where learners find conservation your next trip out of the partners, which helps foster country will be, start working fluency. on your language skills right now. You may not become Duolingo App (both desktop as fluent as a native in a and mobile app): This fun few weeks, but you can get and interactive app offers enough of a grasp of the 35 different languages for language to communicate
Learn a new language
English speakers to learn, including Klingon! They have a free or paid option, Duolingo Plus, which costs $6.99. The app will also remind you to continue learning so you stay consistent and build fluency faster. Babbel: One of the most popular language-learning options, Babbel teaches you more than just speaking in a foreign language, but also how to read and write. Their beginner courses are free, but to advance beyond basic levels will be $6.95 a month. Mango Languages: Mango Terra Travelers || 19
offers over 60 different languages you can learn from your desktop or on the app. Many public libraries offer free subscriptions to Mango, but if your local library doesn’t, you can purchase a membership for $20 a month.
You can find video tutorials for any kind of exercise, including walking in place, strength training, yoga, tai chi, aerobics, and more! There are also plenty of fitness video subscriptions and even personal The majority of travel trainers that involves an awful lot of adventure. Just open a Word conduct workouts via exercise, mostly walking webcam if you want one-on- or Google Docs document from one sight to another. and just start with anything one direction! If you haven’t already that’s on your mind. You established an exercise can also start a writing blog routine, now is the time! You or even a dedicated Twitter don’t need to immediately While it might seem account for 280 word prose! jump into running unusual to include chess as Some of our favorite writing marathons, but you can a valuable travel skill, this resources include Thesaurus. start by taking walks around game is played all over the com, the Hemingway your neighborhood. Be world. You can find chess Editor, and the Writer’s mindful of social distancing players on almost every Digest Creative Writing guidelines and stay six to continent, and it’s a great Prompts (for those times eight feet away from other way to connect with locals! when writer’s block sets in). walkers and joggers out Chess tutorials are found It doesn’t matter what you there. all over the internet by write, as long as you start Googling, or you can visit writing it! If you’d prefer to stay inside play.chessbase.com to play and avoid any chance of online with other members, contact, then YouTube is or watch world champions Quality photography and your new personal trainer! play live! videography skills can set you above the rest of the selfie-taking tourists on Everyone has a your next trip. Learn the novel in them, essentials of quality photos and now would be and videos and software to the time to write enhance your final product. yours! Writing Start a YouTube channel helps build your and document your life communication in quarantine and build skills which are a community! Visual arts crucial to hone provide something tangible before any travel for these times when we
Exercise
Chess
Videos and Photography
Write
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all are seeing the same sights day after day, and you can be a game-changer by providing your unique perspective!
Knitting
Long flights, bus rides, or train journeys can leave anyone bored, especially right after a long period of social isolation. Pick up two knitting needles and some quality yarn and learn how to create your own scarves, gloves, and hats! If you tend to be an anxious person, knitting can be incredibly soothing while watching TV or listening to music. Once you get the hang of the basic stitches, your hands will move on autopilot while you enjoy a travel documentary or action movie. Another bonus besides making your own accessories is that you’ll have plenty of gifts for your hosts and guides once you reach your destination!
Cooking
Every culture has its own signature cuisine. Consider researching some recipes from your next destination and try to make them at home. You’ll get a good sense of the flavors of the local culture, whether it’s Indian spices and chilis or Norwegian seafood. Taking the time to learn new recipes can also help
change up your family’s menu if you’re currently stuck in a rut of the same meals day in and day out.
Art
Art is a fairly universal communication tool, spanning across hundreds of cultures and millions of years. Start as simply as a pencil and paper and sketch the world around you, or get creative with mediums such as colored pencils, ink, acrylics, oils, watercolors, clay, and more. Use the art from the cities you plan on visiting by looking through virtual art galleries and museums. Take what you love and incorporate it into your own style!
Learn an instrument
Have you noticed a trend? The arts the fastest way to learn about and win over the hearts of any people. You’ll hear guitars strummed in Mexico City, bagpipes wheezing in Edinburgh, and drums thundering at shrines in Japan. If you happen to still have an instrument lying around you haven’t played in a while, dust it off and start making music! Tutorials are abundant on YouTube and the internet if you want to improve your
skills. If you don’t have any instrument, however, use the one you were born with: your voice! We’re all feeling the pain of disconnection during these stressful times. We’ve had to cancel dream vacations and reschedule important events. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate our love of travel and build that passion while we’re at home! Find something you can do today to make your next global adventure the best you’ve ever had!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth Cody
Elizabeth Cody is a Florida native and graduate of the Florida State University College of English Creative Writing Program. She lives in Tallahassee where she spends her time cooking, writing, and building her travel bucket list.
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BINGE I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you have already read all the books on your bookshelf before reading this article [narrows eyes]. So with that, let’s dive right into America’s new favorite past time - what can I binge watch next on Netflix? First let me say, Netflix isn’t your only option right now. HBO, AppleTV+, and others are offering up limited content during your quarantine staycation. There are also platforms that you probably never heard of like Quibi (mobile only) or the bouji Filmatique that offer free trials you can sign up for as well (you can use https://track mysubs.com to keep from being billed if you don’t want to keep your addictions subscriptions). With that knowledge in hand, permit me to offer up some suggestions of what to watch as well. Fair warning though, there are 2 categories - plenty to binge on and wrongly canceled by suits with no imagination. Why would I share the latter, you ask? The answer is simple - I am betting on the fact that you will be so angry that the show is canceled, you will carve out some house arrest staycation time to write angry-grams to these pencil pushing geeks with no vision. But that’s not all folks, as a thank you for reading this article, watching these shows (so I have new people to talk to about them), and writing the studio - I am going to show a life hack on how to turn yourself from “couch potato” to “scientist” without ever having to get off your couch! 22 || Terra Travelers
TV Ryan Earls
SUPERNATURAL
BINGE TIME: 15 Seasons
THE LOW DOWN: This
guilty little pleasure will check all your emotional boxes this quarantine season. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, or put in other terms, it will remind you how to feel again since you have been isolated from human emotion for a month or more. The epitome of a picaresque style show that centers around a family on a mission from God to fight everything from vampires to God’s own Sister herself (and maybe fairies, Pagan Gods, and giant teddy bears as well). RATIONALE FOR WATCHING: You will learn valuable post apocalyptic skills, so you can designate this binge time as “research time” instead of “TV time”. FUN FACT: This show is based on me until I had to give it up for article writing because of Covid-19. Oh and it’s the last season currently so you’ll be able to still be relevant at parties zoom gatherings.
TERRA NOVA
BINGE TIME: 13 episodes THE LOW DOWN: Strap in for the best in-
sanely high budget TV show of all time and then be glad you strapped in because of the whiplash from the abrupt cancellation. The whole Terra Nova experience will reach deep
into your brain stem and burst forth through your pioneer persona as you learn how to colonize a new world (and learn the golden rule - be careful who you sleep with when there are only like 20 people in your tribe). RATIONALE FOR WATCHING: And guess what, this is another one of those shows that we can classify as “research” thanks to the pandemic because you are sure to learn vital new skills as we have to reseed this post apocalyptic nightmare we find ourselves in currently. FUN FACT: Is that a leak, nope, just the sound of 13 glorious episodes that are dripping with irony. How so? Enjoy the foreknowledge that you are watching a show about the difficulties of making tough choices and being careful with resources from a series that was canceled because it was so careless of its budget and resources.
THE GOOD PLACE
BINGE TIME: 14 Seasons THE LOW DOWN: So what do you do when
you wake up dead, in heaven, when you’re supposed to be in hell, oh and your soul mate whom you’ve never met is a moral philosophy professor? Well, watch the show and find out because you’re obviously not here to just read me writing about the show now, are you? I can tell you however, you will laugh out loud on the twist and turn that is this campy look at how and where you go after you die (and then come back, maybe). Terra Travelers || 23
RATIONALE FOR WATCHING: Legitimately drama with “progressive” views for the time you will accidentally learn about actual philosophical theories and philosophers while watching them play out in hilarious real after-life example. So, it goes without saying, this is definitely “research” material of how to be a better leader/human in post-covid America. FUN FACT: This show has the equivalent knowledge of a 4 year philosophy degree because it employs a team of actual philosophers. Additional fun fact, it’s also the first time philosophers have ever been employable as a profession.
wasn’t bold enough to hire Sidney Poitier who was contending for the presidential role. Can you guess why?
JERICHO
BINGE TIME: 29 episodes THE LOW DOWN: A unicorn amongst TV
shows. Just enough episodes to pull you in before they a got canceled but they were able to wrap it up in a bow so no real cliff hangers. You will be delighted to find parallels between the current situation you find yourself in and the characters of this show. As a silver-lining THE WEST WING though, you will realize that it could be much BINGE TIME: 7 Seasons THE LOW DOWN: Let’s be honest, you didn’t much worse. So if you’re into the government conspiracies and watching science fiction turn pay attention in civics class (if you even had one). Well fret not, dear reader, this show is the into science fact - then binge to your heart’s next best thing to it, and a lot more engaging to content. boot. Can’t remember how a bill becomes a law, RATIONALE FOR WATCHING: I repeat the show is about be isolated during a national or how nobody reads entire bills - this show covers it all. Get a behind the scene looks in the emergency and how to cope with day to day satirical farce that is the United States govern- living. So if that doesn’t count as research… FUN FACT: There is actually a good deal of ment. Fair warning, I have actually lost days evidence to say this show was actually given the binging this show. axe by the Bush Administration because of the RATIONALE FOR WATCHING: You need revealing nature and implication of the subject to “research” how our government works in front of the cameras matter. and behind closed DR. WHO doors. Of course it’s fiction, but the BINGE TIME: Doesn’t matter you have a shows creator had an amazing team of TARDIS advisors who bring THE LOW DOWN: A galactic buddy road trip comedy, where our beloved antihero, an alien true authenticity to named The Doctor, travels around the universe the show. “adopting” more humans to “protect” than AnFUN FACT: Yet gelina Jolie on her best day. A triumph of Britanother case of a ish humor, Doctor Who, will truly transport you leaky irony faucet, the show, a political through a myriad of emotions. If you don’t like 24 || Terra Travelers
the actor playing The Doctor, the show has you covered, because they swap out the main actor every season or two - currently a woman. The same goes with The Doctor’s abductees companions. Light on the probing for a story about an alien, this is a show the whole family can enjoy (if they are nerds). RATIONALE FOR WATCHING: Basically we live in a world where anything goes, so your chances of encountering an alien are pretty high in 2020, so this is “research” for that inevitable talk your going to have with our new alien overlords - a basic do’s and don’ts. FUN FACT: Despite the shows multiple cancellations since the 1960’s, like a bad gym membership, this show never stays canceled. Because of the shows longevity, you get to watch science fiction become science fact. Quite literally, the show always seems to run at the forefront of dismissed fringe science until about a decade afterward when it becomes fact (e.g. blacks holes, antimatter, time travel, quantum physics, etc).
best space cowboy dramedy about smuggling and love set in the year 2517? Okay, so that’s Firefly, the show you never knew you wanted to watch but has somehow always been missing from your life. RATIONALE FOR WATCHING: It’s all about having to survive and get yours when you being oppressed by a sister government that cares nothing for you. So you want to “research” this again and again - now that you are a full fledged scientist (congrats) according to your daily pie chart of activities that is chalked-full of “research”. FUN FACT: Not only will watching this show unlock a world of pop culture reference you have been missing out on but I also low-key use it: if a person I have just met has seen this show, its a great litmus test for potential friendship.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Before taking this noble scribing job, Ryan used to explore the unknown in his 1967 Chevy Tardis which he lovingly named Serenity. Along the way he picked up side jobs such as being one of the travel industry’s top gurus on social media and marketing. Currently you can’t find him because he is hold up in quarantine like everyone else.
FIREFLY
BINGE TIME: 14 episodes THE LOW DOWN: Best. Show. Ever. Needless to say you need to watch it. It’s a cult classic, with a loyal fan base (that even petition and was rewarded with a movie version) to this day. An impressive feat when you consider the short duration and untimely death of the show. But just what makes this show so “shiny”? Imagine the
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experiences
VIRTUAL
26 || Terra Travelers
Richard B. Earls
W
ith the world locking down and isolating, does it seem an odd time to be discussing travel? I totally understand why travel, per se, is not top of mind for you or anyone else right now. But with the time lots of us have on our hands, I want to spend a few minutes explaining why travel is pretty high on the list of things we might contemplate for a few moments. Firstly, some of our best memories are of travel. The vacations we took as children with our parents, the trips we have experienced with our own families and friends. Travel is a part of more than our culture, it is embedded in our very DNA. Travel requires us to endure some discomfort, it teaches us tolerance, patience and perseverance. Humans are a pilgrim species. There is indeed a spiritual aspect to travel. Though travel is outwardly about transportation, a crossing of borders, lodging and logistics, every journey somehow has an internal component as well, as though some of the borders crossed are interior to our psyche. We long for a horizon that moves one step away from us as quickly as we take a step forward. Yet, when we gaze inward, we find that same horizon there. There is something about travel that involves a defiance of the physical act of travel as though we are
participating in a quest for understanding and knowledge as much as accruing mileage.
• Wondrous Museums You Can Visit From Your Couch Right Now- Your living room is the perfect place to see the world. • Disney, Kennedy Space Center offering free online activities for kids during school closures • Virtual Field Trips: o The Anne Frank House o Buckingham Palace o Great Wall of China o Holy Land Tour o The Louvre o Mount Everest o Mount Vernon o The Statue of Liberty
Now, as we find ourselves largely homebound, perhaps it is a good time to evaluate the importance of travel to our psyche, to what it has meant to us in the past to what it will mean to us as things normalize. One way to do so is to use travel to distract us a bit from the day to day routines we are lapsing into in the much smaller world of our homes, and to use the technologies and media to our advantage to visit the world virtually. So for your digital travel adventures over the next few It’s a big world and we have weeks, let me suggest a few of seen so little of it. There’s the best opportunities I have more to see, but for now, we encountered as of late: will make our visit virtually.
• Smithsonian Channel Has Released 68 Free ‘Aerial America’ Episodes – Do some armchair traveling and see the breathtaking vistas of all 50 states while learning about their histories • 12 Virtual Disneyland Rides That You Can EnRichard Earls has spent the joy At Home Without A last 30 years in the travel FASTPASS – Thanks to the internet, a Disneyland day is industry as an agency owner, a technologist, a publisher closer than you might think. and a writer. The publishing • Google Arts and Culture credits to Richard’s resume – Museums from Around the are many, including WeissWorld mann Travel Reports, STAR • This Virtual Tour of the Service, Intelliguide, BTP24, Carlsbad Caverns Will EnVoyager Travel Guides and tertain You (and Your Kids) Travel Research Online. He for Hours (Video) • Tour the Catacombs of is currently self-unemployed. Paris on a Virtual Visit
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Richard B. Earls
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