SONDER // Edition 3

SONDER

Edition 3

LIFE . TRAVEL . ADVENTURE

BARCELONA

SONDER

T R AV E L M AGA Z I N E E D I TO R I N C H I E F Elisa Vandergriff C O N T R I B U T E RS Cayla Graner Dean Pfeiffer Delaney Boyd Drew Willson Elisa Vandergriff Eva Alom Hallie Dilworth Houston Vandergriff Jennifer Miller Katie Vandergriff Kennie Everett Lacee Lay Logan Craig Maranda Vandergriff Morgane Turqui Zoë Hester

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SONDER

L E T T E R F ROM T H E E D I TO R

Dearest readers, I am so excited to present to you the Third Edition of Sonder Travel Magazine. Jack Kerouac once said, “Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.” This is a mantra I aspire to live by and one which resonated with me as I approached the formative stages of my senior honors thesis in college. I wanted to find a way to share the opportunities I have had to live, travel, and adventure and be able to bless others with resources and inspiration to do the same. Thus, Sonder was born.

Although this edition was published in a year where travel went nearly extinct, it has become more important than ever to share our stories. We need to remember the adventures of our lives, the breathtaking parts, the hard parts, the unbelievable parts. We need to reflect on the past and adapt for the future.

I hope these stories bring a light back into your heart just as they did mine. As you journey through this publication, I hope that you find adventure on every page.

LIFE . TRAVEL . ADVENTURE

Cheers, Elisa Vandergriff, Editor in Chief

Edition 3

sondertravelmag@gmail.com

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CONTE NT S ON D ER · 3

DON’T WALK 9 MILES IN MY SHOES HONG KONG LANDSCAPES OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND ONE WEEK IN JOSHUA TREE AUSTRALIAN STEREOTYPES - REAL OR FAKE? ISRAEL CUBA LOVE LETTER TO HALIFAX MAYBE IT WAS MEMPHIS BARCELONA REFUGEES IN ATHENS, GREECE A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS NONREV THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK BANFF NATIONAL PARK + JASPER NATIONAL PARK IN THE SUN OR IN THE SHADE A NEW WAVE OF TRAVEL A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS A DAY IN MADRID CANADA. COLD. (AND COVID) HUCKLEBERRY KNOB UGANDA / SOUTH AFRICA LIVING LIFE AFTER STUDY ABROAD HAWAII FIVE - OH!

CAYLA GRANER DREW WILLSON MIKAELA LANGLEY MARANDA VANDERGRIFF CAYLA GRANER MORGANE TURQUI LACEE LAY CHRISTEN JO BLACKMAN KENNIE EVERETT ELISA VANDERGRIFF HALLIE DILWORTH HOUSTON VANDERGRIFF EVA ALOM DEAN PFEIFFER DELANEY BOYD LOGAN CRAIG JENNIFER MILLER HALLIE DILWORTH ELISA VANDERGRIFF MORGANE TURQUI ZOË HESTER DREW WILLSON CAYLA GRANER KATIE VANDERGRIFF

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DON’T WALK 9 MILES IN MY SHOES Story & Photography by Cayla Graner

H

ave you ever bought a pair of shoes for the sole purpose of wearing them for a single event or picture?

That was me. I had been planning a trip with one of my friends to go up north to Boston, and then a day trip to Maine. I was super excited because I love to plan every detail for trips and I had always wanted to go way up north. I decided to buy some brand new duck boots from Poshmark a week before our trip, since it was going to be very cold in December and I wanted to be cute in all my pictures. (Of course) The boots ended up coming in super late and I was barely able to get them in time to put them in my suitcase.

When I finally got to Boston, I saw just how different each city can be. I had lived in Philadelphia for a few years growing up, so I figured Boston would be pretty similar. Although Boston is similar to a busy city, it’s also smaller and feels a lot older. From the cobblestone streets, to walking by old houses owned by Paul Revere and John Adams, it literally feels like you are walking around in history.

On our first day there, I wore my new boots around the town for about an hour and seemed to be comfortable in them.

The next morning on our first full day in Boston, we actually took a bus to Portland, Maine that left at 7 a.m. and came back

around 11 p.m. I would highly recommend doing Portland for a day trip! It was only an hour ride from Boston, and the round trip cost from Megabus was only $25! Side note, if you travel alone you can sometimes get deals for $1! Portland is fairly big, but honestly very doable to do in a long day.

Our bus dropped us off right at the edge of the little city and then we took another bus (for .75) to the main part of the town and then walked to an awesome donut shop called The Holy Donut. They have some of the best flavors and they make their donuts with potatoes! If you go, definitely try their lemon or peppermint bark donuts! The rest of the day was mainly filled with looking at super cute houses, shops, and historical sites. The piece of the Berlin Wall is cool, as well as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s house. There’s also a place where you can add your lock to a fence where hundreds of others have done the same! And of course we had to go to the harbor and have a lobster roll and clam chowder. Side note, if you go in December like we did, most of the lobster places are closed, so you have to really search to find one at a local restaurant. Gilbert’s Chowder House was really good!

It was a beautiful 40 degrees in Portland with sunny skies, and with our full bellies, we felt great and wanted to go looking for some of the lighthouses on the other side of the bay. We thought about calling an Uber, but decided it wasn’t worth the $12 and that we would just walk instead. It

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was about an hour and a half walk, but we figured, “Hey, we’re young, we can take the scenic route, we’re in no rush.”

Well the first 45 min was pretty cool. We were excited to see the lighthouses and we thought it was hilarious that we were walking so far. After those 45 min though, we realized the walk was no longer fun, and in certain areas not safe either. We were using GPS the whole time we were walking, so by the time we got to the first lighthouse, my phone was almost dead.

The Bug Head lighthouse was very small (I realized why it was called a bug light) but we were determined to keep on walking to the Portland Head lighthouse, which wasn’t too far away. When we finally got to this lighthouse, for a moment, it all seemed worth it. The sky was a dark blue and the lighthouse looked beautiful and majestic as it sat on a red and white house on top of a mountain/cliff where you could see the water crashing below. We stayed for about 30 min and then realized it was getting dark. We knew it would take way too long to get back to the main port by walking, and it was starting to sprinkle.

Plus, my feet were starting to hurt. We finally caved in and bought an Uber, but as my friend purchased the Uber, her phone died. We just hoped they would be able to find us before it got too dark.

The uber pulled in, and we were so relieved. We were worried though that both our phones were almost, if not completely dead. I think God was watching over us that day, because in the back of the Uber car were two charging ports and candy to snack on! I was so happy I almost cried and gave the Uber driver a big tip! When we were finally dropped off, we were starving, and starting to get cold. We found a place to eat called Duck Fat, and I don’t know if it was just because we were hungry, or the food was just that good, but it was some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life.

Apparently the place is always packed in the summer, but go there if you can! We had duck fat poutine and a really good cranberry pecan salad. If you don’t know what poutine is, it’s basically cheese curds, french fries, and gravy. I’ve never had it

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with duck fat gravy, but I don’t think I can ever go back now to regular poutine. After dinner, we felt a lot better, but we now had to walk all the way back to where our bus was, a couple miles away. We had to use our phone GPS to get back to the bus and walked in the dark, across some sketchy roads, high traffic intersections (which had some of the shortest pedestrian lights I have ever seen) and just felt nervous about getting back in time. We finally made it to the bus station, and by that time my feet were hurting pretty bad. We were excited though to be on our way back to Boston, and even though our phones were almost dead, we had charging stations in the bus.

Well… this bus didn’t have charging stations like the other one. I tried to take a nap and not use my phone to conserve as much charge as I could. We got back to Boston around 11 pm, and all we had to do was walk back to the house we were staying at. Well that would have been great if we had been in Boston for more than a day, and knew our way around. I put in the address for her house, but after it said we were close to the destination, we realized that we were not at our destination, and for some reason my address took us to the opposite part of town.

At that moment I broke down in tears. My feet felt like I was walking on needles, with every step more painful than the last. I was walking so slow, even though it was late and we were trying to get home as quick as possible. My friend was able to find the right address on her phone, so we tried walking back. She didn’t tell me until after we got home, but apparently her phone was about to die and she was praying that we would make it home before we were lost again, late at night in a city we didn’t know. I had my shoes off, and was walking in my thick wool socks on the street because it was a little less painful on my feet.

A little after midnight, we finally made it to our house. I was still crying from the pain, worry, and just exhaustion of the day as I tried to walk up those now impossible three flights of stairs. I took off my shoes and realized why my feet were hurting so

bad. I had over six blisters on each of my feet that were the size of a whopper candy. I had them on my toes, the sides of my feet, and the bottom of my heel. As I was walking in my blisters throughout the day, they were filling with fluid and the pressure from my feet were causing them to be stressed enough to almost pop. I looked at my phone and screenshot my steps from the day because they were so crazy. 20,000 steps. 20,000 steps in one day in a brand new pair of shoes.

I almost started laughing because my feet looked so silly and I felt so stupid for wearing brand new shoes on a long adventure. It was honestly a miracle we even made it back to the house that night. I have three tips for you if you ever go on a trip to Maine.

1. Just take the Uber, you’ll get there faster.

2. Bring portable chargers to charge your phone if you are going to be using GPS. 3. Don’t walk 8.9 miles in brand new shoes, even if they are cute in pictures...

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HONG KONG Story & Photography by Drew Willson

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While my wife Cavina and I spent some time in Thailand, I had to renew my visa which required us to leave and come back on an international flight.

We explored some options in the northeast like Kyoto, Seoul, Singapore but Hong Kong was the cheapest flight at that time.

When we got there it was the night before my birthday so I got to wake up on November 4th as a 22 year old walking around the flower markets and streets of Mong Kok just North of Victoria Harbor.

The whole day we walked about 25,000 steps and traveled all over the city while I took photos. I definitely attribute Hong Kong to the reawakening of my love for photography.

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LANDSCAPES OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND

By Mikaela Langley

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The land was a patchwork quilt in every shade of green imaginable, stitched together by endless rows of hedges.

Bald mountains that you can see all the way to the top, dotted with the white backs of sheep.

Great lochs of unimaginable depth, stained by peat and keeping secrets in dark water.

Flat bogs full of native grasses stretching out in all directions, beneath the surface are the shriveled leathery bodies of ancient beings.

Culloden battlefield where if you didn’t know the history, you could not imagine that something so horrible and gruesome had happened in such a peaceful and serene place.

Cairns of carefully placed stones, you could almost hear the old ones whispering through the walls.

Quaint roadside villages filled with small plaster cottages taken over by their own gardens, more roses than house.

Grand silhouettes of broken and battered castles on faraway hills, like broken jaws with jagged teeth cutting towards the grey of the sky.

A twilight walk through a 200 year old cemetery, the towering gravestones strewn about with wildflower gardens to deter the idea that 60 feet of plague victims rest beneath your wandering feet.

When it’s raining softly, and you drive through a small mountain pass and a cross appears from the mist on the side of the road. There is a dark hole in the rocks below it, a well that promises the water will relieve all that ails you. A glass for drinking sits in the crevice above the opening.

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ONE WEEK IN JOSHUA TREE Story & Photography by Maranda Vandergriff

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It was supposed to be Greece.

My then-fiance-now-husband and I had planned to travel to Europe for our honeymoon for months. But like many things in 2020, travel to Europe became very uncertain because of COVID-19. We finally laid that dream to rest (with a “just not now” mentality) and found ourselves back at square one.

Parker only had one week off of work for the trip. We considered staying in the Southeastern US instead and going to cities that we could drive to in a couple hours. We’ve both traveled around the Southeast, so the cities that caught our attention were ones we’ve already visited.

I don’t remember how I thought of it. I had seen the iconic Joshua trees in pictures, but I didn’t know much about Joshua Tree National Park or the little town named for those same funky trees. I started researching and brought up Joshua Tree, CA to Parker as a honeymoon destination option. It seemed like a quirky, quiet desert town with enough to do to keep us entertained but not too many options that we would be overwhelmed with a long itinerary for our short trip.

We decided to make the leap and started looking into Airbnbs in JT. We quickly found that nearly every single Airbnb looked like it deserved its own Instagram account. From bohemian bungalows to midmod hideouts to dome houses in the desert, the hardest part of our trip was deciding where to stay. I was drawn to an adorable cabin with an outdoor clawfoot bathtub. When I realized I had been following that particular Airbnb on Instagram for years, I knew it was fate for us to stay there. (Okay, that sounds a little dramatic, but we needed SOMETHING to help us choose.)

Our trip lasted from Monday to Sunday with nearly all-day travel in and out of Knoxville, TN on the first and last days.

This left us with 5 full days. I had a mental list of some things I wanted to do, but we had a completely open itinerary when we arrived; we wanted to have a relaxed and lowkey trip to decompress after the stress of 2020 and wedding planning.

Here’s what we did:

DAY 1 — E X P LO R I N G JOSHUA TREE Brunch at Crossroads Cafe: Traditional American/southwestern cuisine (with lots of yummy veggie options) Coffee at Joshua Tree Coffee Company Light grocery shopping at Von’s: We wanted to try the local cuisine as much as possible, but we still needed snacks for the Airbnb and our trip into the park Souvenir shopping at Coyote Corner: A cute little outpost with JT souvenirs, some outdoor gear, and a small selection of vintage Explore Pioneertown: Originally created as a film set, some of the Wild West storefronts of Pioneertown contain real businesses – and it’s still used as a set!

Dinner at Del Taco: This is a chain we don’t have back home so we had to try it out 1 6 · SONDERTRAVE LM AG.COM

DAY 2 — J O S H U A T R E E N AT I O N A L PA R K Breakfast at Frontier Cafe: Coffee, breakfast, and lunch. They were takeout-only so we got it to go and enjoyed it at the Airbnb Day trip to Joshua Tree National Park First stop at the gift shop for map (and more souvenirs) Hiked Barker Dam: Easy, 1.3 mile hike. The hike leads to an old dam, and if you come during/after the rain you will find a desert oasis and might even see a bighorn sheep (but it was bone-dry when we visited) Hiked Hidden Valley: Easy, 1 mile loop featuring giant boulders and rock formations Cholla Cactus Garden: The Joshua trees give way to acres of the short but dangerously sharp cholla cacti. At the garden there is a sign that begins with a quote from J. Smeaton Chase, in California Desert Trails, 1919: “If the plant bears any helpful or even innocent part in the scheme of things on this planet, I should be glad to hear of it.”

The sign goes on to read: “We humans often find value in other living things only when we see a profit for ourselves. We fail to recognize the value of a thing to itself or other living things. The Cholla (choy-ya) cactus is one of these outcasts. If we could ask the desert woodrat or the cactus wren how they value the cholla, undoubtedly they would have an eye-opening perspective to share.”

Sunset + stargazing in the park Dinner at Joshua Tree Saloon: Traditional American with Wild West flair. I read one article that described the Saloon looking like Mad Max and I think that’s a perfect description!

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DAY 3 — DAY T R I P TO PA L M S P R I N G S

DAY 4 — S A LVAT I O N M O U N TA I N

DAY 5 — Y U C C A VA L L E Y SHOPPING

Brunch at Wilma and Frieda’s

Breakfast at Joshua Tree Saloon

Brunch at Crossroads Cafe

Coffee at Koffi

Donuts and thai tea at The Jelly Donut

Shopped at:

Shopped at:

Trip to Salvation Mountain: About a 2 hour drive from Joshua Tree, this is work of art and faith. The artist spent over 25 years and gallons upon gallons of paint to create this quirky and sincere art installation in the desert town of Slab City.

Ricochet Vintage

Palm Springs Vinyl Records and Collectibles Windmill City Super #1: Screen print goods and locally-made gifts Thick as Thieves: Home and lifestyle goods Moorten Botanical Gardens: A beautiful garden with over 2000 varieties of cacti and succulents

The End Moon Wind Trading Co Hoof and Horn

Dinner at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace: This is a hotspot for live music, and some of notable artists who have played include: Paul McCartney, Vampire Weekend, Lorde, Arctic Monkeys, Band of Horses, and many more 1 8 · SONDERTRAVE LM AG.COM

AUSTRALIAN STEREOTYPES

By Cayla Graner

Stereotypes are found on every continent. The French are rude, the Americans are all fat, Chinese people are all smart. One cannot truly understand or interpret stereotypes until you have completely immersed yourself in that country’s style of living.

When I was getting ready to go to Australia in 2017, I had this stereotype in my mind that Australia was full of blonde haired, tanned skin, blue eyed men and women who surfed a lot and were laid back. As I was there though, I realized that yes, there are Australians that fit this stereotype, but in reality Australia is filled with unique people from multiple different backgrounds Here are 5 stereotypes that I heard from the states or that I personally thought before I went.

ST E R E OT Y P E 1 A L L AU S T R A L I A N S A R E L A I D B AC K

Australia is known for their huge spiders, but a friend once told me that it’s the small spiders that are the dangerous ones. Not sure how that made me feel better…

This is partly true. All Australians get a month off of work as their summer holiday and most of them only work 30 hours a week. Of course there are exceptions, but it seems that the phrase, “Work hard, play hard,” is very much true in Australia. It is common for Aussies to surf in the morning before heading on to work, or hit the beach after a long day at work.

The most dangerous animals in my opinion were the seagulls that would swarm the beaches and literally steal your food right from your hand and then poop on you.

Aussies are fun, friendly, and very carefree! I was in a grocery store once and the cashier was having a fun long chat with the customer and was bagging her groceries very slowly. The customer was engaging in the conversation and didn’t seem to mind how long she was standing there. This seemed so weird to me, because in America everything is about being fast and the workers hardly ever take the time to talk to you.

Kangaroos and Koalas are not everywhere! In fact, in most areas of Australia it is illegal to hold or have a koala.

I had to travel all the way to Cairns just to pet a koala. And despite what Aussies tell you, “drop bears” are not a real thing. So if they try to trick you into believing they fall from the sky and attack you, you can be prepared to get them back. And never call them koala bears, I was reminded multiple times that they were not a species of bear.

The one thing about Australia that is fast however, is how they get around. The bus and train are used for travel, but most of the time walking is preferred. The Aussies are very fast walkers and they will even walk on the escalator.

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E V E RY T H I N G C A N K I L L YO U I N AU S T R A L I A , A N D K A N GA R O O S A N D KOA L AS A R E E V E RY W H E R E

Definitely false!! I lived in Sydney for three and a half months and although my roommates saw a few bugs and snakes, I was never in contact with any animals. There are birds that fly and walk everywhere, but the dangerous spiders and snakes aren’t everywhere you walk.

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Sydney is a very urban place, so there aren’t a lot of creatures. Of course there are poisonous creatures in Australia, but you really have to travel outside of Sydney to get to them.

E V E RYO N E I S F I T

This is pretty true! In Sydney, there are a lot of places to walk and bike instead of taking the train or bus. Of course I don’t know what other places in Australia are like, but I can say that Sydney is pretty fit.

The portions of food are a lot smaller than in America, and the ingredients are a lot healthier. Almost everything you get has avocado, pumpkin, or fruit in it. There are a few chains in Sydney, but there are mostly local places to eat.

And even the chains that they do have, like McDonald’s, have a healthier menu with better ingredients.

REAL O R FA K E? Like I said before, Australians like to surf, run, and hang out at the beach before, after, and even in the middle of their work days. My boss once told me that he didn’t want me eating my lunch at my desk, but to go out for lunch and take a long walk, even if it was up to an hour a day!

They really care about your physical and mental health over work productivity which was a weird but awesome thing to see.

Australia is also very green and eco friendly. They take recycling very seriously and they have switches on all their outlets so that you can turn them off when you aren’t using the electric. In our rooms, the air turns off every hour, and if you want more air you have to turn the system back on.

ST E R E OT Y P E 4 AU S T R A L I A I S S M A L L

This stereotype is the funniest one of all. Australia is actually almost the same size as the U.S. It would take you five hours to get from Perth, which is in the Western part of Australia to Sydney which is in the Eastern part. The city of Sydney itself is almost 5,000 square miles! It once took us an hour to get from our apartments in Central Sydney to Manly Beach near Circular Quay.

All of Australia is different, and is even split up into different time zones just like the U.S. There are even some territories(basically a region) that decide not to do time zones and control individual laws for their territory.

Sydney is more urban and looks a little like New York City, but also has mountains and trees.

The climate is almost always around 70-80 degrees throughout the year. Other parts of Australia can be in the dry climate, wet climate, or even the tropical climate.

You can go to Sydney and still be amazed at how different Queensland is, and how long it actually takes to get there.

And Queensland is only the next city over from Sydney.

I met over a dozen people from London, Spain, New Zealand, France, and Thailand while I was there. It seems that Australia is a “melting pot” of nationalities. Whether someone is simply staying for school, lived there for six years, or has lived there their whole life, everyone is immersed in culture.

If you just walk around the city of Sydney, you can see Chinatown, a German restaurant, a french restaurant, costumes and dances from other countries, and so much more.

When you ask an Australian what types of foods their country is known for, a lot of them respond by saying that the food here is a mix of every other country’s food. There are literally so many different options for food all in the same street.

It’s this mix of culture that makes me really love Australia.

Yes, there are people who live their whole lives in Australia, but there are also those who bring their culture here and mix it in to create the great atmosphere and diversity of Australia! I know now, experiencing so much diversity and cultures in Australia has made me see how much of the world I want to experience.

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I T ’S N OT A H U G E C U LT U R E S H O C K TO G O F R O M A M E R I C A TO AU ST R A L I A B E C AU S E T H E R E I S N ’ T A L A N G U AG E B A R R I E R

False! Although we do speak the same language, our words, dialects and phrases are very different. Australians seem to shorten every one of their words (breaky for breakfast, arvo for afternoon etc...)

They speak just as fast as Americans so it can be very hard to understand them. Plus, there are certain American words they don’t use at all. (wheat bread, names for the years in college...) Also, because all of their measurements are in the metric system, it can be difficult to even figure out what temperature it is, or how much something weighs.

Stereotypes come from people not experiencing different cultures. It is fascinating and beautiful to learn something new about a country and learn why they do what they do.

Just because a country does something different doesn’t make it wrong, just different! In order to open your mind, you must get rid of stereotypes and just go see the country for yourself! What you find just might surprise you, but in a good and insightful way. And you never know what you will bring back with you.

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ISRA A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY

Story & Photography by Morgane Turqui

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I hopped on the plane. With my friend, we looked at each other as the plane was taking off, and we burst in laughing. We laughed out of nervousness, excitement, and happiness. That was the first time that I have ever flown to a destination, completely ignoring everything about the country I was about to discover.

That was the first time, I was about to go in a country, exploring a new land without having done tons of research beforehand. I wasn’t really anxious or worried, but rather enthusiastic and eager to find out more about this place.

Let me take you into this discovery.

We went to Israel in October. We left home, at the beginning of fall, wearing coats and scarves. As soon as we landed

on the only airport of the country, in Tel Aviv, I was seized by the heat, and we went straight to the sea. How could we not jump more right into local traditions than by landing on a Friday, which is Shabbat for Jewish people, and on Sunday there was a celebration, so everything was closed for 2 days and a half...

Israel, the former land flowing with milk and honey, being at the crossroads of the three major religious branches, is definitely a country not know enough and not appreciated enough. As soon as I told my relatives I was planning on going to Israel, they overwhelmed me with questions, and remarks about how dangerous and not safe it is to go there with a girl friend of mine. I’m grateful

“

THE MYTH GIVES IN TO REALITY, AS IF EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW, AND WHAT YOU USED TO READ IN BLACK AND WHITE, NOW TURNS OUT TO BE IN COLORS.

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that I did not take very much care about their remarks for once, and still had my clear project in mind. Truth be told, as previously mentioned, I didn’t really know what to await of my trip, but the few expectations I had were certainly puzzled and astonished by what I encountered there, by how Israel really is, which defeats every rumor or prejudices people have regarding this country. I felt quite ashamed about all the prejudices people have about this country - and that I myself have thought as well.

Not a single time have I felt unsafe, or scared that something would happen - I’m honestly more anxious in France than I was there.

H IG H LIG HTS OF T HE TRIP

T E L AV I V Tel Aviv is the closest Mediterranean city I can compare to California. It has a chill vibe, lots of surfers, music, good healthy food and splendid large beaches.

Perfect weather all year round, athletic people running on the beach, playing volley, working out or driving scooters, and breathtaking sunsets. Skyscrapers, lively night life, nice people, tons of children in the street, and ice cream shops on every corner. I truly felt like I could live there for a while.

THE DEAD SEA I remember when I was a little girl, my dad would tell me that people can float without any effort in a sea far away from home - that was one of the few times I did not believe him. Years later, I’m still probably the most skeptical girl ever, as I did not believe how easily you can float on the Dead Sea before trying it myself.

Walking in the Dead Sea was harder that I have imagined as the ground is covered

by clots of salt, forming little spiky ping pong balls of salt. Once you walk further and immerse yourself in the sea, a force is pulling your whole body upwards.

You cannot stay for a long time in the sea as you cannot swim, and the salt itches you very quickly if you have a scratch.

A single drop of water in your eyes and they are burning. A single one on your tongue and you want to throw up. That feeling of floating is amazing, unreal, and extremely relaxing. When you go out, your skin has never been that soft your entire life. Wait until sunset, so that the warm colors marvel the sea, the pink mountains and the sky, and remember that you’re at the lowest point on earth.

EIN GEDI Not far from the Dead Sea, this is where David escaped and hid from King Saül wanting to kill him. As soon as I got off the car, I was astonished by nature, catching me back to reality. It’s been 2 weeks that we were in the desert, without any vegetation nor animals.

And here, the first thing I’ve heard was tons of birds singing. The first thing I’ve felt and smelled, was the fresh air under palm trees shadows. You can walk in this little oasis, resting near a waterfall and coming across different animals, which will make you feel you’re on another planet, as desert and dryness are the only thing surrounding it - which makes you understand why David found refuge in this oasis.

An odd feeling surrounds you while you’re visiting this country, especially if you’re a believer. You’re walking in the same streets, cities, places that you’ve only read about, Jerusalem, Megiddo, the mount of Olives, Nazareth ... as if the myth gives in to reality, as if everything makes sense now, and what you used to read in black and white, now turns out to be in colors. Whether you’re a believer or not, this region is soaked with history, more than any other on the planet, so why not go and have a look, to have a deeper understanding of our world today ?

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A F E W T I PS , I F YO U ’RE P L A N I N G O N GO I N G TO I S RA E L. Careful about parking, you need to download the app, Pango, in order to park, otherwise you’ll get a ticket. You can park for free on the grey sidewalk, when it’s white and blue, you need the app. Every sign is only in Hebrew, so download a translating app as well.

You should learn a few words and sentences. Starting with shalom, of course, meaning “peace” which you can say anytime, and to anyone. (If you have a bad memory, don’t worry, everyone speaks English there).

Life is quite expansive and they use the Shekel (1 Shekel = 0,25€ / 0,29$).

Careful with Shabbat, starting from Friday, at sunset, till Saturday evening.

Depending on which city you’re at (Tel Aviv, for example, is looser, religiously speaking than Jerusalem), every store may close. So make sure you have enough food and gas with you!

Speaking of food, the best hummus place in Tel Aviv, is in a former synagogue, at the Carmel Market.

Take tours on most of the sites, to get a full comprehension of it. Whether at Megiddo, Jaffa, the Israeli museum in Jerusalem... you can book online, and it will make more sense that just seeing ruins by yourself.

If you can’t stand the heat, don’t go there in summer. Winter is usually cooler (but still around 25° Celsius), even though it’s hot all year round, and it is less touristy.

If you want to go to the Jordanian desert, Petra for example, you should know that it will cost you approximately 300$ for one day only, leaving at 3am from Tel Aviv. Adding 100$, and you’ll get to

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sleep in a tent and spend one more day at Petra.

In Jerusalem, go to Hezekiah’s tunnel, you’re going to get wet, so wear a short, but it is worth it. In the City of David, you’re walking in a carved water channel of 583 years long, built in 701 BCE. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions, at the airport, going back. Don’t panic if you’re asked by unpleasant agents what kind of job your grandpa had, how many languages do you speak, what souvenirs you bought, if you met people in Israel, belong to a community, or if you packed your suitcase yourself... it is all for security measures, and everyone goes through it.

I didn’t know what to expect of this country or this trip, but one thing I’m sure, is that I will definitely go back.

On the return flight, with my friend, as we looked at each other and smiled, we knew we came richer than when we left, and we both agreed that this trip had fully bewildered us. Israel is not appreciated enough, and it’s a country worth knowing. This has been one of the best trip I’ve had, as from a cultural point of view, everything is unalike my own habits and customs, which made it all the more so fascinating.

If I was to listen to what people have told me, I would probably never have moved out. Go where your heart tells you to go, explore some parts of the world that may appear as less attractive, don’t listen to narrow-mindedness or prejudices.

Just go, see for yourself and make your own opinion of it.

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CUBA Story & Photography by Lacee Lay

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Stepping off the plane was like stepping back in time. My friend and I traveled to Cuba by way of Mexico several years ago. The country is beautiful and for the most part, untouched. Signs and propaganda of government and its former leaders still fill the streets, businesses, and town squares. But those aren’t the only signs of socialism; old cars are the main mode of transportation and phone booths occupy most street corners.

When we arrived we were greeted at the airport by Tony, our Airbnb host. Tony and Maru’s place was located in Central Havana. Having limited information about Cuba, our expectations were low. But we quickly caught on, falling into the rhythm of the unique country and beautiful people.

Cuba is a little smaller than the state of Florida and travel was easier than we had anticipated. In the city, we were able to explore old and new Havana on foot. Dancing, singing, and music were always filling the streets. The buildings and cars are full of color and the sea-side avenue, Malecon was busy with fisherman and locals. Revolution Square was bathed with Cuban flags, draped over buildings featuring Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. We visited

the Cristo de La Habana, that sits across the bay overlooking the city.

Our afternoons always included cafe con leches and our evenings were spent eating home-cooked meals made by Tony and Maru and learning more about everyday life in Havana.

One afternoon we took a taxi to the city of Viñales, three hours outside of Havana. Our driver drove an orange 1950’s Chevrolet. He proudly shared that the car had been in his family for three generations and had served that time as their main source of income.

Viñales is a beautiful mountainous town and also one of Cuba’s tobacco regions.

We stopped by one of the farms where we were able to walk the grounds and see how Cuban cigars were made. The government provides all the equipment, seeds, and irrigation needed to tend the farms. Then they take 90% of the profits.

Cuba is a country that feels like it’s been left behind in a lot of ways but in other ways, it is the perfect mix of old and new. Life is slower there and no one can deny that it is a complicated place. But one thing shines brightest: the people.

They are proud of their country and proud to be Cuban.

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LOVE LETTER TO HALIFAX

By Christen Jo Blackman

Nova Scotia you took a hold of me when I least

Still outside early in the mornin,

expected it.

Do I puff on mine.

When it rains the salt water curls my hair.

Do I imagine ghosts on Windsor?

Or those that move swiftly today?

I feel like I must have been here in a past lifeOr is that now?

There’s something about a port city and the

I can’t tell the difference.

call of the wildest unknownHer paradise-

How can they be my friends if I don’t know

Her love-

them?

That is the greatest love of all-

Is that what happiness is?

To give fully of itself and to live happily enough to enjoy the day.

When the tide turns and I’m sunburnt and cold again-

Please keep me humble-

I’ll remember the Atlantic blue in her eyes and

Humble like soft grey

the grey grit under my feet.

Is it white, silver, blue, pure???

Putting one foot in front of the other-

If I put my eye on it I’d never know the truth...

For no reason other than espressos on deck.

Keep me gratefulGet by on less-

If it weren’t for all of these colors that turn like

This can all be bliss.

windmills in my mind-

You see the sun-

Hope high enough to fly a kite!

Put your sunglasses on.

I wonder if I just mightLearn to be free like no otherThe kind George Washington admittedly could not fuck with!

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Photo by Mason B.

By Kennie Everett

S

o there we were, standing outside the doors, and waiting to go in. Even though it sounds ridiculous, I remember being nervous. I don’t know why. Worried, I’d be disappointed? Never!

Y’all, it was terrific. Smaller than I anticipated but beautiful all the same. I may never get over the thought of having carpet in the kitchen! The grounds were nothing short of magnificent; green as leprechauns shorts (in Florida, the grass just is not grass; it is harsh, brittle, and uncomfortable to sit or walk-in). Graceland, I stood just outside her doors, and my childhood came rushing back from memory.

I remember sitting in restaurants as a young girl along with my younger sister and parents, and we would play our version of “20 questions”. We’d ask each other silly things like, “if you could be a bear, what kind of bear would you be?” My Dad would always pick a Black bear, and Momma would say a Panda. Or “if you chose the year you were born, what year would you choose?”. Of course, my sister and I would choose to make ourselves older because everything is fantastic when you are older, right?

I always had a sense of knowing that I wanted to travel the world one day, and thus, one of my questions would always be, “if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”. The answers were still the same; Hawaii, or Alaska, or New York. I always thought to myself that they were not thinking big enough! (Not that those places aren’t beautiful and whimsical in their own right!) I knew I wanted to go places! I wanted to see architecture and Renaissance art; to experience all the World had to offer!

As children, my parents were not able to travel; we come from a small town in Kentucky, and visiting far off places just wasn’t something that happened for many people, so naturally, travel just was not on their radar.

My Momma, Cindy, and I grew up together. My parents are young parents, and really, they sacrificed a lot of their happiness and life moments to provide for my sister and me.

At times, that felt like a struggle. I think it did for her too.

I know the difficulties I have faced, even by choice, for my children, while being an adult, so I can only begin to imagine the way she felt at times, even when she denied anything bothered her. I think there were also times we resented one another, and the life choices we either followed or ignored.

I wanted her to be healthier in her mind for herself and our home life, and she wanted me to slow down and listen to her more often (and in many areas maybe I should have). I would even say our relationship was tense for many years, but then one day, out of the clear blue sky, she decided she wanted to go on a trip with me.

A trip! By this time, I was in my 20’s and a self-proclaimed “World Traveler,” and after all, I was! I went to a handful of places in Europe when I was 17 with my AP Art History class. Folks, I had seen the Sistine Chapel, the Eiffel Tower, the Pantheon, and Parthenon (admittedly, I still mix those up at times). I had lived. Or so I had thought.

But where did Momma want to go? England? Paris? Tokyo?

I kept imagining these romantic places with classical art themes and deep red wine. I sat on needles waiting for the return text to reveal where she had in mind.

Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee. She wanted to visit Elvis. I love Elvis. Always have and always will. Even have a daughter named after him. My Momma was not thinking BIG, but she was thinking of me, and something she knew I would love.

A few months later, we jetted off from Orlando and made it to Memphis. Our first real trip anywhere, and alone as adults.

Just when I thought I wanted wine and Escargot, I was falling in love with rides in a Pink Cadillac and beef tips from Marlowe’s Tavern.

The simple reason I am an Elvis fan is that my Papaw Don was (Grandpa for non-Southern folk). He bought me every VHS tape and magazine that he could get his hands on. “Viva Las Vegas” could play on the record player in a moment’s notice, and it often was. We were inseparable for a long time. When he passed in 2010, it was sudden and unexpected. He never had the opportunity to visit Graceland. Maybe she chose it because she missed him and knew I missed him?

As I took those first steps between four grand, white columns, into a place that held such wonder for me, I knew this trip was special for both of us. We were here, together, for our entertainment but also in the spirit of my Papaw. I have never been able to figure out why he never visited here himself. I’ll never know.

All the memorabilia, the suits, the records, they were breathtaking. Did you know that inside Elvis’ racquetball court, the walls, from ceiling to floor is, covered with awards, plaques, vinyl records, photos, and more? It took my breath away. So much talent, so much heart, and soul cover those walls.

The two of us created an opportunity to bond during this trip, and I know she walked around Graceland, thinking of her Dad, and I pray it brought her a little peace.

Hours later at Sun Studio, I did something I never imagined I’d do; I held, in my hands, a standup microphone used by The King, himself, and many other era rock stars. I joke now and say, “Elvis and I caressed one another through time.”

That night, she and I walked down Beale Street together.

We shopped and waltzed through an art gallery that was exhibiting photographs from the Civil Rights era. We had Hurricane’s at Jerry Lee Lewis, and let me say, that Grenadine will sneak up on you! Together, we listened to a phenomenal live band. The day before our return home, we called a cab and had the driver drop us off at the Memphis Zoo. Know what kind of bears they have there? Panda bears. My Momma’s favorite. She must have stood and watched these bears for an hour straight, and we even went back to them before we finished for the day. It kind of amazes me how much she loved them.

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The next day we headed back home to Orlando, both a little sad to leave, but oh so thankful for our time there.

Since our time in Memphis, Momma has become a “World Traveler,” and I think it is safe to say we are officially one another’s favorite travel partners. She has seen the sands of Hawaii, Bahamas, and Mexico, ridden trains through Italy, and eaten Parisian cuisine atop the Eiffel Tower. As silly as it sounds to say, I am thrilled at the woman my Momma has become. She was once afraid to grow as a person, afraid to step outside the unknown, afraid to find something that brought her great joy.

Photo by Joshua J Cotten

She has realized the World is a mighty overwhelming place that she can meet a little at a time, and I think maybe it was Memphis that showed her the way.

Photo by Will Porada

Know what is crazy? We argued a handful of days earlier.

I threatened not to go. I still feel wrong about that. Our mothers always try to make us understand what is right for us because we are their babies forever. I know this now. They are not right about everything, but they are following their instincts, and that’s all they can do.

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“

THE WORLD IS A MIGHTY OV E R W H E L M I N G P L AC E T H AT A

SHE

LIT TLE

AND

I

CAN AT

THINK

A

MEET TIME, M AY B E

“

I T WAS M E M P H I S T H AT

S H O W E D H E R T H E WAY Photo by PJ Gal-Szabo

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BARC E LONA

Story & Photography by Elisa Vandergriff

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Barcelona. A kaleidoscope city. The city every person who watched The Cheetah Girls 2 wanted to experience. A city that you could visit over and over and never get tired of.

My first visit to Barcelona left me craving more, savoring every photo, souvenir, and memory after I had gone. When the opportunity arose for me to return, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I was excited to explore parts of the city I had missed the first round and to return to the incredible places I had been before. Here are a few of my favorite things from the enchanting Catalonian city of Barcelona:

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B L AC K R E M E DY D E L I & C O F F E E B A R This was our first stop and it set the bar high for the rest of our time in Barcelona. The neon industrial aesthetic was delightful and everything we ordered was delicious!

M U S E U P I C ASS O The Picasso Museum was the perfect activity for the rainy morning we spent in Barcelona. There are 4,251 works

by Pablo Picasso in the museum, showcasing work from every era of his career. Having seen a couple of his paintings at various museums across the US and Europe, it was an astounding experience to see so much of his work under one roof. You can buy tickets in advance for the museum or at the door.

B AS Í L I C A D E L A S AG R A DA FA M I L I A If you only do one thing in Barcelona, it has to be this. Basílica De La Sagrada Familia is an architectural wonder designed by Spain’s groundbreaking architect, Antoni Gaudí. I struggle to find words to describe this astonishing masterpiece as it’s unlike anything I have ever seen before. The experience of merely entering this tremendous cathedral moved me to tears - both times I visited. Rainbow light streams in through stained glass windows from all sides, highlighting the insane detail from floor to ceiling. You must have a ticket to enter and I recommend buying them online beforehand.

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J E F F E R S O N B E AC H B A R When in Spain, eat tapas. We had the most delightful experience at this surfshack-style tapas bar on the beach. Every dish we ordered was delicious, but the best part was sitting next to the water, the sea breeze blowing through the open interior, watching the beach-goers and, as we ordered our third round of tapas, a rainbow appeared over the sea. The setting was as much of an experience as the food, and I would highly recommend both to anyone visiting Barcelona.

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L A B O Q U E R I A M E R C AT La Boqueria was another place I returned to on my second trip to Barcelona.

This public market is packed with booths selling fresh fruits, meats, fish, and vegetables and bustling with shoppers and gawkers alike (trust me, it’s hard not to gawk). It’s a market of a million colors and it truly is an unbelievable sight. If you get overwhelmed by all the options, the fresh squeezed fruit juice sold at several of the booths is definitely the way to go.

C AS A B AT L LÓ This is another one of Gaudí’s architectural marvels scattered throughout the city. Although we didn’t go inside, the exterior is unlike anything you’d ever see on a regular street corner - like a fairytale cottage disguising itself on a city block. It’s definitely worth a visit, even just to briefly join the constant crowd of onlookers before moving on.

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L A P E D R E R A - C AS A M I L À Right across the street from Casa Batlló sits Casa Milà, another one of Gaudí’s masterpieces. While its exterior is far less vibrant than his other works, we were able to become well acquainted with the charismatic cafe inside. It was by accident that we ate here, we just happened to get hungry while we were visiting and there just happened to be a restaurant, but having lunch inside a Gaudí was one of my favorite experiences. The interior was intriguing and the food was exquisite.

PA R K G Ü E L L This final Gaudí work was the last place we visited before we had to leave the city the next morning. Not visiting this extraordinary park was one of my big regrets from my first trip to Barcelona, and I’m so glad I got the chance to return and experience it for myself. The big draw is the view, the entire city laid out between the park and the sea, but every inch of the park is uniquely and interestingly designed. We spent our last moments of daylight in Barcelona exploring the park before we headed back to our Airbnb to leave early the next morning, like a final kiss goodbye from the city that gave us so much.

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REFUGEES IN ATHENS, GREECE Story & Photography by Hallie Dilworth For me, traveling has always been a choice.

I choose where I want to go, how long I want to stay, and at the end of it all I still have a home to come back to.

For some, traveling is not a choice, but rather a much more permanent, involuntary displacement. Their choices of where to go are limited, they have no idea how long they will be allowed to stay, and they may never return to their true home. If they do, it will not be the same as it once was.

The refugee crisis affects millions all over the world, from Syria to Venezuela. In Europe, Greece bears the brunt of much of this crisis, as it is often the first European country that migrants from the Middle East enter.

Their journey takes them hundreds of miles across mountains and deserts, all the way to the shores of Turkey where they await a boat that will carry them across the Aegean to the shores of Greek islands.

Many of them do not know how to swim, much less have ever seen the ocean. And what’s worse, their voyage must take place in the middle of the night for less likelihood of getting caught by the coast guard.

People from all walks of life—engineers, doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs—carry only the clothes on their back on this treacherous journey to a new country whose language and culture they do not know. They sleep in public parks and squares, sometimes squatting in abandoned school buildings. They rely heavily on NGOs for the most basic necessities like taking a shower.

Their destination is typically Germany or England, Greece being just a stop along

the way. Though some remain there for years, awaiting approval for visas in order to immigrate to those countries best suited for resettlement. It will take many years for most to feel even slightly resettled.

I took this photo of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece while volunteering at a refugee center there for women and children. What makes this photo so special is the light. The sun sits just behind the Parthenon. If it weren’t in that exact position, the entire picture would be too bright to make out anything.

Refugees experience a lot of light in their lives. They see the light of the sun come up every morning in their hometown. Then, they might see a light from an explosion in their neighborhood. They’ll use flashlights as they trek miles and miles through the wilderness. They’ll set their eyes on the lights of the Greek shore as they embark on the most terrifying journey of their lives.

Then, they’ll see the light from the same sun come up every morning in a new place.

Yes, the same sun, though it must seem so different to them now. The women and children I met while serving in Greece are the bravest people I have ever known.

Waking up to that sun every morning, filled with the pain of losing their home and likely many loved ones, desperately trying to find an ounce of hope to get them through the day, is braver than anything I’ve ever done.

If you would like to support an organization that serves these heroes, please visit the International Rescue Committee website. www.rescue.org

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SCOTL AND

A COLLECTION OF P H OTO G R A P H S BY H O US TO N VA N D E RG R I F F

A I X- E N P ROV E N C E , FRANCE

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G R E AT SMOK Y M O U N TA I N S N AT I O N A L PA R K

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A I X- E N P R OV E N C E , FRANCE

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LAKE B L E D, S LOV E N I A 4 8 · SONDERTRAVE LM AG.COM

NON

By Eva Alom

4am.

Lay before me a field of blue lights Brighter than a million miler medallions’ manifestations of elite shine could ever hope to be.

If 5am was for the birds, then 4am was for the people who made the birds fly.

And I loved traveling with that secret.

And it was us, wasn’t it, who made them fly?

And if I never return, let it be known that I regret nothing, not a single messy dramatic or lonely moment.

For what is flight without roots to come from and who is a bird without a destination to dream of?

Envy not the glamorous sex symbols of the sky, for we are our own. Longing still for adventure, authentically faking it because our collars are not white or blue, darlings, they’re chameleon’s camouflage.

My own freeze frame record scratch moments happened there in the sky when I realized I could be anyone I wanted to be, be anywhere I want to be, for just a few days.

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Me, a working-class girl of Tennessee, sipping champagne amongst the bourgeois and laughing to myself, knowing I had infiltrated their gated world if only for a moment.

And travel with that secret I did.

Not spending my 22nd birthday alone on the bench outside the P.F. Chang’s in the Atlanta airport because there was not a seat for me to get back home.

Not waking up in the Bahamas on that November morning to find my brand new camera stolen alongside my dreams for my country.

Not falling asleep alone in the Hermitage museum of Amsterdam after my spontaneous red eye, not going alone on a romantic canal cruise

REV through the city and taking in every sight for no one but myself. While everyone around me appeared to be falling in love with each other I was falling in love too. In love with the world and my ability to be in it.

Not spending 24 unexpected hours in the Atlanta airport after we missed our flight to Aruba, that day we found a cello player and danced and filmed and photographed and made our own airport scavenger hunt and laughed like teenagers and I learned something about how to live that day.

Not finding a way to get into the Sky lounge of Tokyo’s airport and pretending to understand the world stock market while drinking beer with the world’s most pretentious businessmen and telling them “no one, yet” when they ask who the hell I am.

Not spending the night in the eerily perfect Singapore airport and talking for hours with the security guard over his long-lost dreams of becoming a singer sacrificed to the overbearing government’s wishes.

Not breaking 8 years of strict veganism to eat an egg omelet because it’s all that was available after hiking to the top of an Indonesian volcano to watch the sunrise. Not taking a night bus across multiple islands after having over $2000 worth of stuff stolen from my backpack. I still had tickets to a concert the next day.

Not begging the Santorini car rental associate to let me rent a car despite not yet being old enough, despite

not having a credit card, only to take out the taillight while trying to navigate the island’s narrow alleyways no more than 15 minutes after he caved.

Not going to Tel Aviv for only a weekend because that was all I could spare. Not listening to anyone recount their spiritually significant trips to the same land and knowing that all I did was crash an extravagant pool party and drink wine with someone I met in Rome 3 years prior who probably should have stayed a one week fling.

Not crying as I, hungry and shaking, carried my bag up 5 flights of stairs in the dirtiest, sketchiest, cheapest hostel in London because I could not afford anything else after spending all my money in Ireland and not making it on the flight back home. Short by one seat. Earlier that day, as the pretty red headed redcoat who looked so much more polished in the very same uniform that I too wore at home escorted me back to the lobby I told myself never again. I told myself it was not worth it going broke only to not be guaranteed a seat back but…

Truly I knew I didn’t mean it. I sat there and cried for 10 minutes and then I bought a ticket to London.

When I landed in Heathrow I remembered a story of my father, traveling to the USA for the first time as a child, not yet knowing that it would be permanent.

A day long layover in London and with 24 hours to spare that little brown family wanted nothing

more than to visit the London zoo and inexplicably see the animals they previously knew to roam free behind the cages. But no cab would give that little brown family a ride and so they stayed in the airport until their flight. Every fiber of my being told me to run to the London zoo in that moment, but I refrained and took comfort in the fact I could come back another day. And what a divine thing of freedom that was.

What a loophole I had found.

Because between those travelers in suits talking too loudly on the phone about expense reports as if they have an audience and the happy couples embarking on their honeymoons still high off the moment, between the soldiers returning home or the prisoners forced to leave it… Between every person in those airports who had some semblance of purpose for being there. In the middle of it all were travelers like me. Completely and utterly purposeless, but completely and utterly open to anything that might happen, and any connection that might form.

Sometimes it felt like a video game.

Like if things got too difficult I could just hit home and return, be it middle seat or first class, Boeing or mad dog. Either way, without knowing I knew I had a way home.

And I knew home base was filled with others who didn’t quite fit in and didn’t know exactly where to go but we loved life and we loved it together.

So if I never return, please let it be known that I regret nothing.

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T H E AU ST R A L I A N O U T B AC K Story & Photography by Dean Pfeiffer

“WELL I ONCE PULLED A KNIFE ON SOMEONE IN THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK” has become my travel story show stopper. Utter that sentence and you can silence a room and turn all eyes and ears in your direction. While it’s a quick way to earn badass points, that act of opening a knife and pointing it at someone was much more to me.

But let me back up a little bit. Two years prior to my trip down under I met a young Australian doctor on a medical expedition to the Himalayas. We bonded quickly and formed a long distance friendship that took us both across the world. Her to visit me in America in 2017 and me to return the favor in 2019. I definitely got the better end of that deal.

Our mapped out Aussie road trip clocked in at just under four weeks, was over 10,000 kilometers long, and covered practically the entirety of the northeastern quadrant of the continent of Australia. We began in Cairns (think Great Barrier Reef), turned south for a short stint to experience a bit more of the lush coast, and then swung the trusty Mazda CX5 west and faced the flat, red expanse of the terrifyingly huge, mostly empty Australian Outback.

Almost surprisingly, it was just like the movies. We almost ran out of gas a half dozen times. We dodged hitting kangaroos

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on the road. We saw quite a few dead cows, who had clearly died of dehydration, on single family farms the size of European nations. And I will never forget the time we walked through the literal swinging doors of a saloon in the middle of nowhere only to have an entire bartop full of weathered construction workers turn in unison to eye us up and down with suspicion.

The further towards the center of the continent we went the more on the fringes we became. We started to make a game of what constituted an actual town and decided that if it had the “Three B’s” (bottle shop, butchers, and bank) it qualified.

One evening we pulled into a settlement that fell one “B” short of a town. We were tired and grateful to have found a cheap campground after a long day of driving. This sounds like a joke, but we had kangaroo meatballs for dinner and turned in early. I journaled for a bit in the tent and my companion popped out to the car to grab some ibuprofen for her sciatica. She forgot to re-lock the car.

The next memory I have is waking up at 2AM to my friend yelling “What the F#CK are you doing” and furiously unzipping the tent. Unsure if I was dreaming, I half tripped/half crawled behind her and was met with the sight of two men running off into the bush, my wallet in hand. As my friend shouted expletives into the night I quickly began searching for my knife. Once located, I focused on the task of tearing down camp as fast as I could.

Halfway through furiously throwing pots and pans into a storage bin, I heard a laugh that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I whipped around. Just out of reach of the headlights I saw the shadowy figure of a young man slowly approaching, holding out my wallet in

front of him. I had a sudden flashback to a lesson I’d been taught in my Self Defense for Women course: “Don’t approach if they offer something. It’s a quick way to find yourself in a chokehold.”

He moved closer, laughing the whole way. Brandishing my knife in front of me (a sentence I never thought I’d say) I shakily said, “Stop right there,” and then more forcefully, “Drop it.” I’ll never know if I actually scared him, if he decided my American currency wasn’t worth it, or if he had a true change of heart. But I do know that I left that not-quite-a-town with my wallet and a new sense of confidence.

As we drove further into the Outback and away from that ill-fated campground my anxiety turned into laughter and I marveled at my own response. By the time we reached the heart of the continent later that afternoon I was worn out but giddy.

Uluru. The 600 million year old monolith in the center of the country was the midpoint of our trip before we headed north to Darwin at the top of Australia. It creeps up on you. A speck in the flat red expanse of the Outback until it suddenly consumes your field of vision with its 5.8 mile perimeter.

It’s magnificent. Bigger than you thought, a little less red than you thought, but utterly captivating. As I stared up at the 1,142 foot monument less than 12 hours from standing up to a highway robber, I began to think about power. Uluru is potentially the single best place in the world to confront your own empowerment. This rock had the audacity to assert itself against erosion for longer than the dinosaurs had been around. If it could do that, then I could assert my rights to my property, my body and my safety. And while I can’t outlast the dinosaurs, I plan to keep my wits and my wallet for a long time.

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BA N F F N AT I O N A L PA R K + JA S P E R N AT I O N A L PA R K Story & Photography by Delaney Boyd

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O U R T R I P WAS F O R A W E E K I N J U LY 2019.

The weather was in the upper 50’s and 60’s to low 70’s during the day. It was cold at night, and mild during the day.

It rained on us a couple times, but was partly cloudy or sunny most of the time.

It stayed light so late into the night. The sun would set about 9:30 or 10 pm, and there would still be some light at 11 pm.

We wanted to see the Northern lights at night, but that didn’t happen since it was overcast during the evenings.

When we would go “Northern Light hunting” in Jasper NP, we’d have to leave the cabin about midnight or later so it would be dark enough. We still didn’t see any northern lights though..

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AC C O M M O DAT I O N S In Calgary, we stayed at the Hotel - Park Inn near the airport.

In Banff, we stayed at the Moose Hotel and Suites. This hotel had a super convenient location on the main street in Banff. A lot of people stay in a Canmore outside the city, and drive into Banff daily to save money on hotels, but for us it was really nice to be able to walk around the town and to restaurants from the hotel. We definitely splurged on this hotel. It had a rooftop pool and hot tubs, and a really nice spa that we didn’t get the chance to use. The fire place in our suite was especially nice after rainy days and cold nights exploring the town.

In Jasper, we stayed at the Jasper House Bungalows. This was practically the opposite experience from our hotel in Banff, but equally as fun. We had our own little bungalow next to the river, and it was the cutest place ever. There was a little cafe on site that we had a meal or two at, and there were plenty of short trails to walk along the river and take in the views. The bungalows were probably about 10-15 minutes outside of the town of Jasper, but since we had the rental car it wasn’t a big deal.

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IN THE SUN OR IN THE SHADE

Photo by Elisa Vandergriff

By Logan Elizabeth Craig

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N

umb as I become in tragedy, and unwilling to show my cards, I quietly and exclusively bingeread Instagram captions for the first few weeks of quarantine.

Like everyone, I found a cloudy combination of shock and fear.

Worry for loved ones, early obituaries.

Soliloquies on loneliness. Outright denial, and its patronizing twin: spiritual bypassing. But after a couple of weeks, I noticed a hesitant narrative emerge, written under pictures of windows sills full of potted plants and mirror selfies in cluttered bathrooms — that experiencing even small joys during all of this felt like a betrayal. The guilt of enjoying more time spent with family. The relief of extended deadlines, of some newfound space for your self. Yes, a pandemic has infiltrated the globe, but something good happened to me today.

The tension between grief and joy feels irreconcilable.

When I was nineteen and naive, I spent a semester abroad in Europe. I studied in Cambridge, spent a week in Ireland and another in Austria, met up with my best friend in Milan and then toured northern Italy with her. The week I returned, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Within two months, she had passed away. The following year still eludes me. Her death was a wall that marked Before and After, one side rich with memory, the other silent and still.

Stories from my trip, joys I had once had an urgency to share with my family, suddenly felt inappropriate. When I smiled, telling my sister about my first kiss on that stone bridge by the willow tree, a voice in my head chastised me for avoiding my pain.

It insisted I was selfish to relive a moment I cherished. As if speaking would belittle the time I should have spent remembering my mom. As if to remember my joy was to forget my grief.

joy will protect us from pain, “if we are not allowing ourselves to know joy, we are missing out on [what] will actually sustain us through the inevitable hard times.” It follows that, when the inevitable hard times do come, it is not shameful to let our joy sustain us.

But maybe it’s more than that. Maybe it’s necessary.

Recently, I foraged my journal for memories of that trip. The words are riddled with disclaimers and confessions. But woven through still are little revelations, nostalgic ramblings, and a growing sense of gratefulness.

After the diagnosis, Mom told me she had first suspected she was sick on Easter. I remember everything from that Sunday.

My best friend and I had taken a train into Cinque Terre. We ate gelato and walked the along the sea at Manarola, the salt spray bouncing off the rocks onto our ankles. We stopped in Riomaggiore for lunch, peoplewatched while dipping focaccia in olive oil and balsamic. A friend of hers met up with us and we laughed our way to Monterosso, finding a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that seated maybe eight people. The sun set as we finished off a bottle of wine and freshly made pesto cavatelli. As we watched a pair of boats bounce against the shore under the stars, warm and happy, I remember thinking it was one of the best days of my life.

That afternoon, white wine on my lips, I had written: Today was sunny and beautiful, and that perfect temperature that isn’t hot or cold whether the wind is blowing or not or whether you’re in the sun or in the shade.

After the diagnosis, Mom told me she had first suspected she was sick on Easter. I remember everything from that Sunday.

Sometimes grief and joy meet in a tension you have to hold. I don’t feel guilty for holding both anymore.

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown insists that although we think denying

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Luckily, My husband is a problemsolving mastermind. He watched vlog after vlog and found an escapeCamping! What better way to socially distance ourselves than to connect back to nature?

Story & Photography by Jennifer Miller

A N E W WAV E O F T R AV E L

at home” life, when my favorite escape is off the table? The world won’t allow me to jump on a red-eye to Vegas. Even if I could, the casinos are closed. I can’t simply call a Marriott to run away to Florida or a nearby beach. Florida is literally shut down. I can’t even go to the mall. Zip. Zilch. From my point of view, there’s no option for a reprieve available.

Kids screaming, Zoom calls blaring, and heaven forbid the dog needs to go out. The world is in an uproar with COVID-19, the global pandemic that left more people hurting than my Aunt’s deviled eggs on Thanksgiving.

I can’t step foot in my classroom. My husband is locked in his home office on conference calls twenty-seven hours a workday. Katie wants to bake cookies and Colten’s still arguing with me about something that happened two days ago.

I need a break!

I’m an adventure seeker. One who needs to go, do, and explore. Travel is my way to relax and unwind. So, how do I survive the crazy, mundane “stay S ON D ER · 63

Now, it’s hot outside and we’re southerners at heart. We keep our home a crisp, sixty-eight degrees. A tent wasn’t going to cut it! So, we hired a sitter, actually, Uncle Bubba came to visit, and away we drove to the local RV Mega Center.

“Let’s buy a camper,” my sweet husband said. “We’ll be weekend warriors,” he promised. Less than a week later our new Travel Trailer was loaded with the essentials, and we hit the road. It only took three days in the camper for us to realize RV life was the only way to bring our family closer together during the global crisis.

We started as weekend warriors, but our second trip turned into constant travel with no route to return home.

Batten the hatches folks; I’m a traveling mama.

We visited local campgrounds across North Carolina and then headed south.

Traveling in a “rig,” or RV, has its challenges. I learned how to do laundry without a full-sized washer and dryer.

Our family collaborates daily to share the only bathroom in the rig. We faced flooding from rain (inside the camper,) strong winds, crazy drivers, and there was that one incident where the awning leg met the fence post…

However, our adventure has been unforgettable! My children went cave diving in central Florida. Who knew there were caves you could swim in, in Florida? I’ve heard of those adventures abroad, but stateside? Check out Devil’s

Den prehistoric spring in Williston, Florida. The experience is more magical than a week-long trip to visit everyone’s favorite mouse. A little less expensive, too.

Colten enjoyed catching frogs near our campsite and looking for raccoons in the evening. Katie searched for buried treasure and loved the sparkly lightning bugs. The other day, she remarked, “Wow mom! This is really beautiful; can I take some pictures?” I handed her my phone, and she chose to take photos of the sky and the forest. Her words ring true. It is a beautiful world!

Through our experiences, I’ve learned that sometimes the best hospitality can be found off the beaten path. Sometimes smaller parks away from large towns have the best amenities and even better views.

We recently stayed at a small camp in Marianna, Florida. The camp owner offered fresh eggs, access to her personal garden, free paddleboats, and the coolest dog park I’ve ever seen. The Hitchin Post RV and Coral was secluded. I’ll admit the road leading to the camp was more than a little sketchy. But, the experience was phenomenal! Our site had easy access to the Florida Caverns and the nearby Blue Spring Recreation Center. We’ll definitely be back when the caverns are open. This site averaged less than thirty dollars per night with full hook-ups. You can’t stay at a quality hotel for any price near that!

Our journey didn’t stop in Florida. Since May 29th, we’ve visited seven different states. At each campsite, we found new wildlife, new landscapes, and most importantly, new memories created as a family. When you’re living in a 278 square foot space, you have no choice but to become closer to the ones you love.

RV living brought joy to my heart and inspiration to my family. I hope that you’ll consider camping as a new way of travel. Whether you’re in a massive Class A motorhome or a tent, I encourage you to explore the road less traveled. You won’t be disappointed.

“

I E N C O U R AG E YO U TO

E X P LO R E T H E R OA D L E SS T R AV E L E D .

YO U W O N ’ T B E D I SA P P O I N T E D .

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A COLLECTION OF P H OTO G R A P HS BY H A L L I E D I LWO R T H

P T. R E Y E S N AT I O N A L SEASHORE, CALIFORNIA

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B RYC E C A N YO N N AT I O N A L PA R K

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PORTÓN,

EDINBURGH,

BOLIVIA

SCOTL AND

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THE ALHAMBR A , G R A N A DA , S PA I N 6 8 · SONDERTRAVE LM AG.COM

Story & Photography by Elisa Vandergriff

A DAY I N M A D R I D

W H E R E TO S TAY - L A L AT I N A

W H E R E TO E AT - L AV E R O N I C A

La Latina is a gorgeous neighborhood in central Madrid brimming with historic buildings and dazzling murals.

We arrived in Madrid in the evening and had an entire array of bustling restaurants and tapas bars to choose from, all highly rated on trip advisor. We enjoyed wandering the streets around our Airbnb would have loved to stay in the neighborhood longer.

Our one big plan for the day was walking from our Airbnb to Retiro Park and about halfway through our trek, we stumbled across Laveronica. Once we took a peek inside, there was absolutely no way we could just pass it by. It’s bright and bizarre interior was that of a place you’d only learn about through an influencer’s photos, but here it was in front of us, waiting to be filled up with lunch hour patrons. The dishes we ordered there were simple - a seasonal pumpkin soup, a tomato salad, a raspberry sorbet - but each made to perfection with the freshest ingredients. It was one of my most delightful dining experiences and one I wish I could relive often!

We left Madrid early in the morning, but La Latina was an easy Uber ride away from the airport and we had no problem getting to and fro.

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Every international trip starts with a place ticket. For this trip the destination was France, but the ticket to Madrid was $450 (that’s round trip). Delighted by the idea of spending time in the Iberian Peninsula and saving roughly $1,000 by not flying directly into France, we booked our tickets and planned our little tour of southern Europe. Even though Madrid offered us the cheapest flight option, it wasn’t extremely high on our list of priorities, being overshadowed by it’s alluring neighbors Barcelona and Lisbon. However, we decided we wanted to dedicate at least one day to exploring Spain’s capital city - we were going to be there anyway, right? This one day in Madrid ended up being one of the days I think about most from that trip. Although we only got to taste a small slice of the city, we were served the most marvelous experience.

W H E R E TO G O - R E T I R O PA R K I had one goal and one goal only to accomplish in Madrid and that was to see the Crystal Palace. I had seen photos of this incredible glass conservatory years before and promised that if I ever found myself in Madrid, this would be the place I would go. We made our journey across the city and entered Retiro Park, the massive sprawling park fixed in the middle of Madrid. The magnificent structure was even more breathtaking than I had imagined and, even though we couldn’t go inside at the time, I spent an hour photographing every angle through the refracting glass.

Since my one goal had been accomplished, we decided to wander the park at our leisure, our only plan being to make it back to the Airbnb before dark. The park offered a tranquil fragment of life in Madrid. We watched young mothers strolling with their babies, elders occupying park benches for pigeon feeding, and families rowing around the boating pond together in front of the tremendous monument before wandering back to our Airbnb at sunset.

Even if we had stayed more days in Madrid, it’s possible we might’ve just spent every day repeating the activities of this one. It was the final day of our trip so the day’s relaxed pace and rewarding result was exactly what we needed. I would have to call this my recipe for one perfect day in Madrid.

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Story & Photography by Morgane Turqui

C A N A D A.

C O L D.

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(A N D C O V I D)

O

kay, yes, I wanted a dramatic and catchy title. Even though everything is true about it. I went with a friend of mine to Canada, in February.

February ? Going to Canada? You might ask. Yes, I’ve asked it myself more than once when I was buying my flight ticket, packing and trying to fit in as much winter clothes, gloves, scarfs as possible, when I was checking the upcoming temperatures and when I was on my way to the airport.

Those questions kept ringing in my head and I think it was the first time ever I wasn’t 100% super excited about this trip.

I don’t like the cold, I’m rather of a beachy and sunny type of girl. All the roads going to the beautiful lakes there were closed because of the snow and I was definitely not ready for the -30° Celsius. But you know what, I’ve had this opportunity of going on this trip, and I just took it. I think it happens that for other destinations, and other reasons, you may be scared, anxious and a part of you, even the smallest, doesn’t want to go. Maybe you’re being too picky maybe - or maybe, thanks to several travels, you’ve come to know yourself a little bit better, what you like and what you dislike, what you can handle and what you can’t bare. But remember that it’s an experience after all. That you’re going to come back home, filled with memories, stories to tell, new acquaintances and perspectives. It may not be the best trip of your life, but it’s still going to be better than not going.

And would you have done something more by staying at home watching Netflix anyways?

As for our trip, I do not regret it at all, I even wish I was going there with more confidence, joy and research done. Going to Canada in February, in the middle and the worst of winter is definitely something I would sign up for again ! And not only because we were lucky enough to come back home right before the Covid quarantine crisis.

We only stayed on the East Coast of Canada but it was beautiful. Never have I ever been surrounded with that much snow on a daily basis and it’s crazy how snow muffles and dampens down the sound. We stayed a week near Toronto and a week near Montreal. What I loved the most about the trip was nature. Of course, Canada is well known for its beautiful lakes, nature and animals - and truth to be told, we haven’t been disappointed at all !

Winter in Canada starts by buying good winter boots. I bought Sorrels on Vinted, at $70, and I think it’s definitely one of the best investment I have ever made in my life ! Not only did they keep my feet warm but they were super comfortable.

Good comfy shoes - great long trek, I must say.

I was then ready to hop on a not-so-freezyanymore adventure.

TO P 3 T H I N G S TO D O I N W I N T E R I N C A N A DA : DOGSLEDDING. It is quite pricey but it is worth every single penny. You absolutely feel like you’re in a movie, as soon as you jump on the sled, and you start figuring out how it works (you’ll be surprised, it’s not that easy and relaxing as it looks, especially when the dogs pulling your sled are fighting in front of you while they are running), then, the magic appears, whether you’re pacing up and down through the forest, or smoothly slide on a frozen lake. It is usually 2 hours long, and you get to pet the dogs, and give them water at the end. Try to go with an even group of people, otherwise, one of you will sled alone.

PA R C O M E GA .

This was the most beautiful surprise we had. I watched online a couples of videos of the parc, of people, feeding animals approaching them to their cars. But to be honest, I think I didn’t really believed it, until I was actually there. It takes 2 hours to drive the whole tour. They sell carrots at the entrance of the parc, but honestly, you should just buy them in Walmart or something, in which they are half the price as they sell them in the parc. Half the animals are in a fence, so they cannot approach you (and that’s for the best, even though I’m in a car, I do not want to be face to face with a wolf). The other half (mostly wapiti, moose, deer, hind, wild boar, ...) will come to you car window very easily, if they see that you have carrots! I was so impressed by how friendly the animals are, they let you pet them, and are just chilling around your car, or in the middle of the road. Going there in winter has three undeniable benefits : • Less tourists, so you can take your time driving, feeding and petting the animals, nobody is tailing you

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• Less tourists so you have time to enjoy the free facilities the parc has (they lend you snowshoes, and you can go on a small carriage ride for free, and there’s not a huge queue to do) • Your pictures will have more charm, as the animals will pop out from the white snowy background If you’re in the area, this is definitely a must go !

H O C K E Y GA M E Probably the most cliché Canadian thing we’ve done, but I surely don’t regret it !

Okay, they do have hockey game, not only in wintertime, but it felt more authentic, and you’re right in the middle of the season when big teams play (from early October till early April). Make sure you buy your tickets in advance, it is full very rapidly.

A FEW TIPS : • In Canada, as in the US, you must leave a tip ! (That one’s for you, Europeans) • Make sure if you go in winter time, that you rental car has snow tires. They don’t put it automatically depending on where you’re taking your rental from, but in some regions, it is mandatory (in Quebec, for example). It is more expensive, a few dollars a day, but it is a must have in winter, in Canada.

• Buy good winter boots (such as Sorrels) and don’t go out without gloves on.

• Book everything in advance, whether it is a hockey game, or dogsledding.

• Don’t forget to eat a poutine and maple syrup ! A great address if you want to visit a factory, make a stop in between Montreal and Quebec at Chez Danny, in a warm and family atmosphere, this rustic sugar shack will tour you into its production of maple syrup and then offer you lunch or supper, as well as maple taffy, with traditional music, for around $20 total.

• Last piece of advice, if you’re ever not 100% excited about going somewhere, because of certain reasons, it’s okay. But it may end up being the thing you liked the most or was the most surprised about on your journey.

• Try to live the seasons, try to breathe new horizons.

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HUCKLEBERRY KNOB Story & Photography By Zoë Hester We had spent weeks planning the perfect trip to Costa Rica: seven days in a beachside villa, four days in the jungle. Vegan restaurants scouted out, hikes chosen.

As we’ve all learned by now, travel plans don’t always work out as intended. We booked our flights and Airbnb’s just mere weeks before the words Coronavirus and COVID-19 began popping up regularly in the American news, and after a couple months of well hopefully things will be better by then, we finally accepted that Costa Rica wasn’t happening when the airline emailed that our flights had been canceled.

After months of anticipation, I brooded that there would be no new adventure, which had been partially intended to celebrate my upcoming graduation. And of course, there would also be no graduation, although I hadn’t expected it to be much different than the one I had two years before. I was bummed. I was thankful that I was safe—that my loved ones were safe—but I was still bummed.

Sensing this, my partner Alex suggested we break our self-quarantine and leave the living room for a mountaintop somewhere.

The ideal hike for the day needed to be two things: short enough for our nearly fourmonth-old puppy, Basil, and out of the way enough that we would not be putting ourselves or others at risk by going out into the world. These criteria led us up the Cherohala Skyway, where we parked on the roadside for a short hike up to Huckleberry Knob.

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possible because of the pandemic and the new puppy, and this day trip was much needed. After a short mile up, we arrived at the bald where two other groups had arrived earlier in the day to do just what we were doing. Luckily, balds are big places, and once we walked a bit, we couldn’t see or hear the other hikers. We picked our spot, gave the pups some lunch, and sat down with ours: peanut butter & honey sandwiches, bananas, and chips.

Basil tried to steal a sandwich or two, and her big brother Bob sat and smiled as she did it, happy to not be the only dog on the hike anymore.

As we sat up there in the sun, I thought about a lot of things. I thought about the trip we weren’t going to get to go on and the graduation I wasn’t going to have. I thought about the jobs that I knew I wouldn’t be able to find during a pandemic-induced recession. But I also thought about how lucky I was to be sitting on a mountain in the sunshine with

someone I love. I often find myself feeling guilty for feeling sorry for myself over things that a non-privileged person would never even have the chance to do. Who am I to mourn a trip to the beach when people are dying? Even so, I know that it’s okay to be sad about things, even when they are not the worst things. It’s also okay to celebrate life at a standstill: in the kitchen or on a mountain bald. After all, life is what we should all be celebrating.

So, even though in my small part of the world, there will be no trip to Costa Rica this year, I celebrate peanut butter sandwiches.

I celebrate mountains.

I celebrate puppies running through tall grass.

I celebrate Appalachia, my home.

I celebrate life.

UGA N DA

Story & Photography by Drew Willson

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These shots were taken within a two week trip.

Short version is that a church hired me to get footage of their sister churches in these cities that they have helped support since the 2000s.

Long version is that I treated the gig like it was a full on documentary project, waking up at sunrise almost every day to film the city (if you have a chance to travel somewhere new you gotta make the most of it right?). While we were in Uganda, 90% of the time was spent in a car. I got to walk the streets for only 2 hours the whole time I was there.

I’m used to busy and chaotic roads from living in Bangkok but downtown Kampala was busy on another level. Traffic bumper to bumper and people acted like the traffic lights weren’t even there. I was much more at ease in the country and outskirts of the city.

My interactions and experiences with anyone not on our team were few because my role was to film everyone around me. All of the photos I took on this trip are the rare moments between filming.

SO U T H A F RI C A

Durban was a little slower paced and carries the most memories from the trip.

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Towards the end we met a couple of kids that share an interest in photography. They took us on a tour of their favorite spots, a walk by the beach where I lost my favorite hat to the wind (it said IMAX across the front and I always joked that I wore it for Christopher Nolan). They took us to a region called Krantzkloof Nature Reserve which is a series of mountains and gorges.

We were super fortunate to meet them because they gave us a place to stay in an area of town that allowed us to get up early and get the coast for sunrise easily.

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LIVING LIFE AFTER STUDY ABROAD

By Cayla Graner

Photo by Hallie Dilworth

You’ve done it. You’ve studied abroad.

You have now officially checked off something on your bucket list that not very many people get to do. You’ve lived your life to the fullest… but now you have to come back to reality.

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Life after coming back from studying abroad is a bit of a roller coaster. You’ve lived extravagantly for a certain period of time, and got to do something new every day. The plus side is that you’ve probably just had the best experience of your life. The minus side to that is that you have officially peaked in college.

When I first got back from my trip to Sydney, Australia, it was all a bit overwhelming. I was excited to see my friends and family and catch up on everything that I had missed while I was gone.

I soon realized however, that my life was far more interesting abroad than back home. I struggled with feeling like I was wasting precious time and life by not doing something new each day. I also would compare everything to when I lived in Australia and felt like there was so many things that America could be doing better.

But what I think I miss the most is having friends to share my experience with. I was able to spend my time abroad with 14 amazing students, and we all shared crazy and amazing moments together that no one else can really understand.

At first, my friends and family wanted to hear all about my trip, but soon they would all ignore me or be annoyed every time I started a sentence with, “When I was in Australia…” I still get to see some of my roommates around my college campus, but there are times when I’m out and something reminds me of when I studied abroad and I can’t tell anyone, or they just don’t understand truly how much studying abroad changed my life.

Some ways that I have incorporated new adventures in my life is to simply look all around the place that I live.

Before studying abroad, I thought that Knoxville, my hometown, was just a small boring city with nothing to do or see. Since coming back from studying abroad however, I have seen that there are a ton of small businesses and cool places that are unique to Knoxville and almost as cool as Australia. Knoxville has a lot of outdoor places to see and visit, but the downtown and urban areas of Knoxville have seemed to explode in the past couple of years.

Although I can’t always get out and explore every day, I try to make a habit of not having a daily routine. Simple things like: trying a new restaurant every time I eat out, getting coffee at a cool local coffee shop downtown instead of Starbucks, and simply talking to other friends and writing down cool places that they’ve been to and try to go to a new place each weekend.

have throughout the year. We have even started a group me to share every day struggles and memories with each other.

Becoming an ambassador for ISA has also been a great outlet for me. By being an ambassador, I get to talk about my experience abroad and encourage other college kids to study abroad too.

I can tell my favorite stories from my trip to hundreds of different students who will never get tired of me talking about my amazing experiences. If you are thinking about becoming an ambassador after you come back from your study abroad trip, I would 100 percent do it!

Studying abroad is great, but be aware, you will never come back the same again.

I tried to start a new year’s resolution this past year to try something new every day. It has been a little difficult with a busy work and school schedule to do this, but I think being aware of trying to break the daily schedule habit, is a great start for anyone looking to keep that adventure side of their hearts happy.

I have been able to stay in touch with three of my old roommates from Australia, and I can say that they are some of my best friends who I can share moments and memories that I

I thought studying abroad would get rid of my travel bug, but instead I am constantly thinking about traveling to the next country!

I don’t regret studying abroad, and neither should you if you are thinking about doing it. But I’ve had to learn that not every day can be filled with new adventures, although we can always create new adventures even in our daily lives.

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HAWAII FIVE – OH !

Photos by Elisa Vandergriff

By Katie Vandergriff

SU NS E T BE AC H

Hawaii has been on my bucket list. For a long time. Not because I thought it was anything special, but because I had been to all the other U.S. states. Visiting Alaska, typically a hard one, was easy for me: I was born there. And, through the years I somehow managed to live in, travel to, work in, or travel through the other 48.

That just left Hawaii.

Now, I wonder - why did I wait so long?

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Flying into Honolulu is like landing in a fairytale land from a kid’s story book.

The one with treasure maps that show sandy beaches where pirates live, jagged mountains where dragons hide, and tranquil coves where mermaids spend their days. We divided our time in Hawaii between Oahu and Kauai. Both places were spectacularly beautiful and equally unique.

Hawaii is the perfect mix of easy sophistication balanced with unspoiled nature. Whether your preferred method of travel is “fast and furious” or “slow and curious”, Hawaii has something for everyone.

So, if you find yourself considering a trip to Hawaii, whether as your second or fiftieth state, here are some top things to do and see:

G R E E N W O R L D C O F F E E FA R M

LAIE POINT

D O L E P L A N TAT I O N At the Dole plantation, pass through lush rows of pineapple plants with hundreds of baby pineapples growing and ripening in the sun. A colorful garden paradise where you can wander among dozens of varieties of tropical plants. Definitely plan to end the stop with a huge bowl of Dole Whip smothered in juicy fresh pineapple.

PEARL HARBOR One of the most famous historical events in United States history is the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona Memorial draws more than 1.8 million visitors each year from all over the world. You can purchase tickets to tour the memorial. It is built over the final resting place of the US battleship and many of the 1,177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941. Or, just wander along the shoreline and view the historical markers and memorabilia marking this tragic event.

LAIE POINT

G R E E N W O R L D C O F F E E FA R M

OA H U

Looking for the perfect place to watch the sun rise over the ocean? Try Laie Point. It’s a short drive through a small residential neighborhood, and there is parking near the point. Narrow trails wind through the volcanic rock leading to the edge where the waves crash below. Later in the day grab arguably the island’s best fish and shrimp tacos at North Shore Tacos. Or cross the street to the Food Truck Park and get just about any other Hawaiian specialty food you desire. Be sure and top off any meal with shave ice.

At the Green World Coffee Farm wander freely between the coffee bushes in the fields ripe with coffee beans. At the small market purchase fresh coffee beans to take home, or grab a hot cup of coffee and relax in the shade surrounded by the coffee bushes.

WA I K I K I

This big city has high rise hotels, designer fashion stores, and tons of tourists from all over the world. For buzzing night life and beautiful (albeit crowded) beaches, Waikiki is a must see. Diamond Head mountain is the dramatic backdrop for the city. Surfers crowd the beach where the ocean waves are warm and calm. Catch Hawaiian dance performance art on a street corner or in a local park. Traffic is congested, but transportation can be made easier with Uber or city bus.

S U N S E T B E AC H

Even if you have to rush to Sunset Beach from other places on the Island it’s worth it to be there in time to watch the sun dip golden into the Pacific Ocean. Sunset Beach is aptly named. Watch the sky fill with blazing colors and brightly light the surfers catching the last waves of the day.

Hang out in the warm sand until only a faint pink glow remains in the sky.

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OA H U

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K AU A I KIL AUE A POINT

P O I P U B E AC H

N O R T H K AU A I

K I L AU E A P O I N T

Poipu Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Kauai for good reason. It’s fun to pass through the Tree Tunnel on the way to the beach. The waves are gentle, the water is clear, and the snorkeling is excellent. Considered one of the safest beaches in Hawaii, a lifeguard is on duty seven days a week. Sleeping monk seals often lounge on the beach. The small town has a great local culinary scope, and for a real treat, stop by the Da Crack for eat-in or takeout. You start with your choice of flour or corn tortillas, and then add your favorite fillings including fish, chicken, shrimp, beef, port, veggie, and carne asada.

North Kauai is a lush, remote part of the Kauai island. While there, the Queen’s Bath is a great place to watch surfers or try surfing for yourself. For excellent Hawaiian fare try the Tahiti Nui, a restaurant frequented by locals and featured in the “Descendants” movie starring George Clooney. Just down the street you can grab dessert at the Wishing Well Shave Ice. And, finally, end the day watching the sun set from the Hanaliei Lookout. Magic happens as the sun dips down past the point where the mountains run into the sea.

The Kilauea Lighthouse is considered a must stop for visitors to the north shore.

Built in 1913, the 52-foot tall renovated lighthouse towers on a rocky point nearly 200 feet above the ocean. The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is a home for hundreds of local and migrating sea birds. And during the season between December and April the point is a perfect spot for whale watching.

WA I LU A FA L L S

GA R D E N I S L A N D C H O C O L AT E FA R M

Lots of rain on Kauai makes for lots of water going over the falls. One of Hawaii’s most beautiful falls is the 173-foot Wailua Falls. Parking can be a bit tricky, but the overlook is worth the trip. With stunning views at the top of the mountain, these falls are featured in the opening credits of the television series Fantasy Island.

If chocolate is your thing, be sure to stop at the Garden Island Chocolate Farm. You can tour the farm to learn how the chocolate is grown and made from the cacao fruit pods.

Stop by the gift shop for a wide variety of chocolate bars, teas, and coffees. Ranging from white to dark, they have chocolate to fulfill all of your chocoholic fantasies.

WA I M E A C A N YO N Stretching out like a witch’s hand, the large Waimea Canyon is considered the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. Multiple waterfalls pour out of the mountainsides and can be seen from vantage points along the overlook trail. As mentioned before in Kauai it rains a lot, which also helps make beautiful rainbows over the lush landscapes. If you are lucky, you may catch numerous rainbows over towns, along roads, and through the canyon.

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A N I N I B E AC H If you are hoping to snorkel or view the large coral reef that rings Kauai, Anini Beach is the place. Outside of the tourist crush, this beach is somewhat isolated. It goes on for several miles, and boasts the longest and widest fringing reef in the Hawaiian Islands. People have reported seeing large sea turtles and a wide variety of sea life. The Kilauea Lighthouse is also visible from the beach below.

FA R M E R ’S M A R K E TS Throughout the week, Farmer’s Markets are held around the island. Hit one up if you are looking for fresh local island fruits, colorful greens, and tropical flowers.

For amazing Hawaiian treats, load up on pineapple, nectarines, clementines, tangerines, star fruit, dragon fruit, and avocados.

H AWA I I M OV I E S In Kauai it rains. A lot. That is what turns it into the beautiful tropical jungle. But, even on rainy days, it possible to see more of Hawaii from the comfort of your hotel room or Airbnb couch. “Blue Hawaii” with Elvis Presley, “Fifty First Dates” with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, “Descendants” with George Clooney, and Stephen Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” were all filmed in Hawaii.

WA I M E A C A N YO N

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LIVE, TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, BLESS, AND DON’T BE SORRY. -Jack Kerouac

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SONDER

n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows