solo travel
You've got somewhere to go, but no one to go with; solo travel is the nexus of independence and opportunity.
Quest of the Phoenix 2017 (7)
Today I had what was only like an hour’s journey to Casa Grande where I would be switching hotels because…I dunno, just to see a bit more of Arizona, mainly the area south of Metro Phoenix. Thus I slept in, not rising until 6:45. Once again I got a nice breakfast courtesy of the motel and re-planned my routes; I was also pleased to discover that my clothes had dried properly overnight. Taking the first load of stuff out to my car, I found the housekeepers, a middle-aged Hindu couple, sitting on the hallway floor waiting for me to leave (due to the short drive today, I had pushed my departure time close to the 11 AM limit). I told them that I had to go back inside one more time, did so, and then gave them the go-ahead before returning my keycard and heading out.
By Nathan Sturm9 years ago in Wander
How to Meet Women While Travelling
This is the chance to see new worlds, have new adventures, and, more importantly, meet new people. Being single pushes these boundaries a little further and the ability to say "yes" to opportunities can certainly get your heart racing. Being single whilst travelling doesn’t mean you have to travel alone, on the contrary, the single perspective is thrilling, fun fuelled and full of adventure. Dating sites may well have been your friend over recent months and helped you to fine-tune your social skills and abilities with flirting techniques. But always remember these skills, techniques, and new found confidence can always be transferred throughout your holiday or travelling experiences. Here are the top tips on how to meet single women whilst travelling and share your good vibes.
By Sandra Baker9 years ago in Wander
Quest of the Phoenix 2017 (6)
Up at 6 AM again (after an eight-hour rest; hard to believe this is a “vacation” with me going to bed and getting up so early) and spent three hours preparing myself. First, I went and got a nice nutritious continental breakfast with all of the food groups represented (except meat), then I spent some time planning my route to South Mountain Park, grooming, and dressing carefully to hide the fact that I was slightly out of shape — I would be hiking in the rising heat of the late morning, so I couldn’t get away with wearing a jacket or whatnot.
By Nathan Sturm9 years ago in Wander
Quest of the Phoenix 2017 (5)
Once again I was up at 6:30 and had a breakfast of tea and granola/fruit bar. Browsing maps and such on my phone, I was determined to CAREFULLY plan my route into Phoenix to avoid anything like last night’s debacle. In any event, I knew that my motel this time would have an actual “parking lot.” Still I retained some residual nervousness.
By Nathan Sturm9 years ago in Wander
Quest of the Phoenix 2017 (4)
I rose early again but took my time getting ready, since I had a shorter drive today (or so I thought). Checking out, I also bought a postcard depicting Canyonlands National Park, since Tina (and her mom) had requested one and it enabled me to give the innkeepers an extra 80 cents to thank them for their nicely-scented room. I was on the road again by 9:30 and in good spirits, for today I would be driving through Monument Valley.
By Nathan Sturm9 years ago in Wander
Quest of the Phoenix 2017 (3)
The clock in my room had not been adjusted for Daylight Savings Time and I forgot to correct it, so I thought I was getting up at like 6:30 but actually it was 5:30. So when I went out for continental breakfast 15 minutes later (they’d said that breakfast started at 6:30), I was actually 45 minutes early instead of within the proper range. The Spanish speaking guys were hanging around the lobby ignoring me and talking to each other as I wondered why the bread products were still half-frozen and why I could smell eggs but not see any yet. At least I got a bagel and some coffee.
By Nathan Sturm9 years ago in Wander
Leaving
Summer is my favorite season. Even here, in Norfolk, when the humidity and heat become oppressive. Some days I walk down to the ocean in the early morning as the sun rises to watch the mist rise off the Chesapeake Bay. The haze disappears by the time the sun has peaked over the horizon, fading into blue sky like cigarette smoke from Poseidon.
By Gary Jacob9 years ago in Wander
Quest of the Phoenix 2017 (2)
I rose at about 6:45 and hit the road by 8:30. The plan was to follow the directions I’d looked up on my phone to the local Firestone. However, the area around my motel consisted, in addition to construction sites, also of a bizarre sea of interlocking parking lots with no real “town” amongst them and streets and street signs that operated in ways I hadn’t seen before, so I ended up bungling around for awhile in that area, then driving across a highway into the actual downtown area, which was just as bad, involving narrow one-way streets and wandering lanes. After a bit, I just said “screw this” and opted to hit the freeway for Omaha.
By Nathan Sturm9 years ago in Wander
The City That Never Sleeps
On first impressions, it seemed to be less alien than I imagined. When you sit and think about how different our two countries are, you tend to imagine there to be guns visible at every glance, patriotic nationalists bombarding you from all forgotten angles, and a pale green cat... A cat bigger than any building you've seen before, just there... Towering over the city... With dollar signs for eyes and a laugh that you just can't seem to run from... A cat that has paws bigger than clouds, that boom together when he makes that money rain... But, to my disappointment, he wasn't there, and neither was the rain... Neither were the anti-abortion activists spouting their brainwashed hypocrisy, neither was the young African American man who was shot and killed before my very eyes, and all the other people on the street who trivially walk by... Just me, and my eyebrow raised.
By Charli Knight9 years ago in Wander
The Bucket List
By definition, The Bucket List is a number of experiences or adventures that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. As depicted in the movie The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, the definition is oh so true. In the movie, we have two men who have been stricken with cancer and are in the same hospital room. Jack Nicholson plays a millionaire and if I remember correctly Morgan Freeman's career is working in a garage to support his family. As the movie plays on, both men have a bucket list and against the doctor's orders both leave the hospital to achieve as many adventures as they can on their lists before they die. For those who have not seen the movie, I am not going to ruin it by telling you the whole story. You will have to watch The Bucket List" in its entirety to find out what happens during their adventures.
By Kate Adams9 years ago in Wander
Quest of the Phoenix 2017
During the dread Polar Vortex of December 2016, I, having worked six to seven days a week for the last five weeks, most of it spent outside when snow buildup made it nigh-impossible to pull out of any intersection at which one had to stop one’s vehicle, got to work a full and rather lengthy day when the wind was blowing at around negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit (about -23 C). By the time the day was done, my face was too numb to talk properly, and even after getting back indoors it took over an hour for me to feel warm again. And shortly after getting home (and reflecting also on the fact that two months previously I had nearly died of a severe asthma relapse that seemed to have been brought on by the humidity of the autumn, not to mention the depression and general health-deterioration that ALWAYS afflicts me as summer comes to an end), I found myself thinking: “I don’t want to live in Michigan anymore.”
By Nathan Sturm9 years ago in Wander
