From Ocean Voyage to Space Travel

Reid Stowe has done a 1000+ day sea voyage, and now he’s focused on opening new possibilities for humans in space.

Reid Stowe. Desmond K. Shaw. CC BY-SA 4.0

A lover of the ocean and all types of art, Reid Stowe is an American craftsman, sailor and adventurer, who completed a more than three year ocean voyage without stopping on land aboard the Anne, a gaff-rigged schooner Stowe built himself.

The iconic journey began on April 21, 2007 from the 12th St. Pier, Hoboken, New Jersey. One thousand one hundred and fifty-two days later, on June 17, 2010,Reid sailed his schooner up the Hudson River and docked at Pier 81 in Manhattan, New York  — a potential record for the longest continuous sea voyage without resupply or stepping on land. 

With all the experience Reid has built up on the ocean, the renowned sailor has started a new program, meant to help astronauts who are looking to go on a mission to Mars in the 2030s. As Reid has put it, “the deep models of today could provide a role model for space bearers tomorrow,” and plans to use his journey at sea as a blueprint of sorts to help guide these future astronauts.

Reid Stowe working on Anne. @reid_stowe_art. Instagram.

Because those going on the Mars mission will be finding themselves on the ship for almost three years, it brings the concept of “isolation” into perspective. What will they do to cope, being in an enclosed area for such a long period of time? Reid knows what that’s like. He never needed coping mechanisms to prepare himself for his sea journey. There was nothing to “cope” with, and he was always able to love what he was doing. Reid’s new program will tackle these issues and answer the question: “What kind of person will it take to survive a trip to Mars?” 

But this training initiative represents more than just valuable lessons for Reid. It didn’t matter that he was on his boat and “being turned upside down by storms,” because knowing that this journey would be worth it for everyone was more than enough.

One of Reid’s recent artworks. @reidstowepaintings.com

“How did I keep myself happy and healthy?” Reid said. “Believing that what I was doing was good for all of creation. Because I was showing that humans could live in a place where I never imagined before and by opening new doors of perception for what we’re capable of.”

But sailing isn’t the only thing Reid finds passion and purpose in. His Instagram features many of his artworks in great detail. Ever since he was young, he would paint or draw boats or mariners, even before he knew he wanted to be a sailor. And as he grew up, his art became more and more integrated into his sailing — to the point where his artistic drive encouraged him to embark on the longest sea voyage in history.

Schooner Starship Anne. @reid_stowe_art. Instagram.

Each of Stowe’s paintings has layers of meaning and connection. Many of the artworks he made while at sea empowered his voyage, the same way the voyage empowered the artwork. Much more can be found on his own website.

A more than 3 year adventure at sea is an effectively unique accomplishment. But Reid Stowe was able to use his incredible feat to offer guidance, spread awareness and most importantly — tell his own unique stories to the rest of the world. 

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Michelle Tian

Michelle is a senior at Boston University, majoring in journalism and minoring in philosophy. Her parents are first-generation immigrants from China, so her love for different cultures and traveling came naturally at a young age. After graduation, she hopes to continue sharing important messages through her work.

5 Reasons to Travel Alone at Least Once in Your Lifetime

Whether it’s a yearlong round-the-world expedition or just a weekend getaway during a study abroad semester, there is something indescribably liberating about traveling to new places alone.

Solo travel abroad presents the kind of life experience that cannot be properly described without actually experiencing it for yourself. However far too often these types of adventures are stopped in their tracks by factors such plans for the future, the opinions of family and friends and simple fears about what traveling alone entails. 

What follows is a shortlist of five reasons to ignore each of those influences and to break away from the rat race—and instead find what can easily be one of the most formative experiences of a lifetime.

1. No Friends? No Problem

One of the biggest concerns of prospective solo travelers is the notion that there will be no one to talk to while traveling alone and that loneliness will quickly and inevitably set in. For the vast majority of solo travelers, this is entirely false. In fact, traveling with other people can often trap you within a social bubble that envelops your small band of travelers, and goes no further. 

The whole point of world travel is to see unfamiliar places, meet new people, and try different things—at least one major part of the reason you came all that way can be negatively impacted by bringing friends along for the ride. A nice compromise might be to consider booking a tour or traveling alone, where you’ll meet new people in a safer, more intentional space.

2. Hostels Can Help You Socialize

Socializing is always as easy or as difficult as you want to make it while traveling. If you are feeling particularly adventurous and want to make some new friends, hostels are some of the best places on earth to do so. Group bunk rooms are almost always the cheapest accommodations in town and provide a fantastic environment to meet and get to know fellow travelers, many times from countries all over the world. 

Regardless of where each person calls home, the simple fact that each of you is far away from that particular place provides a unifying experience around which you can easily and quickly start a conversation. Many encounters you have with strangers will last no longer than several hours, but it is also more than possible to make lifelong friends in the same types of situations. This means that solo travel combined with hostel living may possibly be the quickest and most effective way to diversify a Facebook friends list known to man! 

Pro safety tip: Never tell a stranger you’re alone! Find more important solo travel tips here.

3. No Compromising

Seeing and experiencing new places with old friends obviously has its advantages, but far too often these other people can delay, alter, or outright cancel even the best laid plans. Traveling alone means that none of these burdens are even a possibility. Trying to organize a trip around one life—yours—is hard enough, but doing so around several lives can often be nearly impossible. 

Even if you somehow manage to coordinate schedules and find an ideal time to travel with a group of friends, everyone will have slightly different goals for their time abroad, leading to logistics issues and disagreements on how time should be spent. If you were to travel alone, even just once, every possibility would remain open to you as you make your way around the places you visit. It is this freedom of choice in your movements that makes solo travel so liberating. You decide the course of your day and you write the story of your trip! Your adventure is entirely up to you and you get to make your experience exactly what you want it to be.

4. No Mountain Too Tall

To pretend that any kind of traveling can be done without its fair share of challenges is unrealistic. There will always be some kind of obstacle or adversity to face when you venture out from home, whether it’s to the other side of the world or to the grocery store down the street. These problems will simply have to be solved in order to move forward, but the sense of accomplishment one can achieve when facing them alone is indescribably empowering. 

The memories of “that one time I was completely lost in Madrid and still managed to make it back to my hotel by using broken Spanish and a rousing game of charades with a few locals” will stick with you for the rest of your life. These types of experiences leave you with a sense of being able to handle almost anything once you return from the trip, with vivid recollections of the challenges faced and subsequently defeated while traveling. If you can deal with your problems in a strange country where they speak an even stranger language, why wouldn’t you be able to overcome just about any issue at home? 

It is this empowerment through experience that makes travel so important in life, and solo travel is especially adept at forcing individuals to learn to solve problems as they come, a valuable and applicable life skill to say the least.

5. No Fear, Just Faith

Dorothy Thompson, perhaps the most influential woman in the history of American journalism, once noted that, “Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” This notion served her well as she broke down the gender barriers in journalism, and it is more than applicable to the idea of travelling solo as well. Dorothy had no idea what to expect as she made her way into the unknown realm of an industry consisting almost exclusively of men, much the same as a traveler embarking on a journey has no idea what challenges he or she may face in the coming days, weeks, or months. And that’s the fun of it. Leaving the comfort and familiarity of a place you know well in search of new and strange locales inherently involves a certain degree of fear.

Fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar is an emotion that has been found in humans for millennia. For our ancestors, traveling outside of the areas they knew well meant facing the very real dangers that may be present there—most notably the risk of being eaten by predators—and so they stayed close to home and close to their fellow humans. For them, it was their fear of the unknown that kept them alive. 

In today’s world, it is quite the opposite—just ask Dorothy Thompson. There are very few things out there that want to eat you. Rather, the lions and tigers and bears that fueled the fears of our ancestors have been replaced by less tangible things, things with metaphorically sharp teeth rather than literal ones. Concerns about family, friends, finances, and careers left behind will often deter potential solo travelers long before plans can even take shape. But like any good story, an ounce of courage will open up doors you didn’t even know were locked. Take a chance on travel, take a chance on the kindness of humanity, and most importantly, take a chance on yourself.

In conclusion...

While you don’t have to ignore these fears, do your best to acknowledge them without letting them deter you from your grand solo adventure. The collective voices of experience from hundreds of thousands of solo travelers who have faced these exact fears in the past will tell you that they are entirely unfounded. Jobs will be there when you return. Money issues can be handled with disciplined spending. And family and friends can either accept your decision to go or they can face the fact that it is your life to live and consequently not their decision to make. 

There’s a lot you can learn about solo travel from group travel and vice versa.

Instead of dwelling on the fears about what might happen, go into the experience with faith in the idea that you, and only you, can control what will happen. Having the proper mindset is the most important factor in the success of a solo trip, and it is perhaps the biggest hurdle you will face. However, once that hurdle is crossed, you will be fully prepared to make your trip exactly what it is meant to be: The adventure of a lifetime. 

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Jake

Hanrahan

A Midwesterner born and raised, Jake recently graduated from Iowa State University with degrees in Kinesiology and International Studies and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health at Colorado State. He is a writer for GoAbroad.com and loves inspiring future travel.

VIDEO: Shadows of Bangkok

Bangkok, or Krung Thep, “The City of Angels”, is the capital of Thailand and home to more than 10  million people. The city is a composite of temples, factories, cultural sites, residences and shops. Emerging from political unrest in the 1990s and early 2010s, Bangkok has become a popular destination in its own right; gone are the days when travelers viewed the city as a simple pitstop on the way to Thailand’s beautiful beaches and islands. Escaping “from the typical travel videos that are usually made about Bangkok,” director and scriptwriter Jiajie Yu, based in Barcelona and Madrid, provides a glimpse into the everyday lives of Bangkok’s residents. He showcases “Bangkok in a cinematographic way,” introducing us to the quotidien and silent moments of a city that is usually portrayed as teeming with bright lights and action. Through “faces, alleys, sounds, and music,” Yu creates a subtle yet mesmerizing depiction of Bangkok. 

VIDEO: Journey Through Thailand

This footage of Thailand serves as the second installment in Vincent Urban’s series: “In Asia.” The video features glimpses into the vibrant streets of Bangkok and the natural scenery of Northern Thailand. He also features footage from the small but lively town of Pai, located near a mountain base in Northern Thailand. The director includes evocative imagery of Buddhist temples from his visit to the city of Chiang Mai, capital of Chiang Mai province. German director Vincent Urban, based in New York City, concludes the episode teasing his next stop, Laos, for the following installment of the series.

10 Quotes to Inspire You to Travel

Consider yourself an adventurer on a temporary hiatus? Life’s distractions make it easy to put travel on the backburner: financial difficulties, the dog ate your atlas, your significant other has a case of the measles. If any of these excuses sound familiar, you’re in need of a reminder why travel is rejuvenating for the mind and spirit. And, as we’ve discussed before, it can be low-cost! The following 10 authors, entrepreneurs and leaders lived in vastly different time periods, locations and social contexts. However, they shared one common interest: a love of travel. Still not convinced? Look at what they have to say.  

1. "Travel is like knowledge. The more you see, the more you know you haven't seen." — Mark Hertsgaard

Mark Hertsgaard is a contemporary journalist and author from the United States. As the environmental correspondent for The Nation, Hertsgaard remains an independent journalist in order to pursue any story that catches his attention. He’s traveled around the world twice and reported from 26 countries. With all his jet setting, you’d think Hertsgaard would be tired of it. Yet to him, every adventure is a reason to seek out more.  

2. “Take only memories. Leave nothing but footprints.” — Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle was a Suquamish Tribe and Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief during the 19th century. As a prominent figure among his people, Seattle sought accommodation over conflict when white settlers compromised the land. His message remains powerful today, especially when considered from an environmentalist perspective. From a personal perspective, one is reminded of the power of memory: travel lightly. Your mind is your scrapbook. 

3.  "I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world." — Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke was a Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist at the start of the 20th century. Critics often describe his work as inherently “mystical,” which resonates with the analogy of widening circles. To live life in widening circles is to push against external limitations. One way to make this analogy a reality is to travel! Global exploration provides opportunity to connect with others and to strengthen social networks. The farther you go, the more you’ll feel at home in any location.   

4. “Traveling is like flirting with life. It's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.'" — Lisa St. Aubin de Teran

Lisa St. Aubin de Teran is a contemporary English novelist. In her quotation, travel itself is the object of affection. Every opportunity to visit a new place is a chance to flirt with an unfamiliar slice of life. With the whole world in front of you, how can you ever get lonely? 

8. “It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves – in finding themselves.” – Andre Gide

Andre Gide was a French author who wrote during the early 20th century. His advocacy for adventure is a reminder of what helps us grow: the unknown. To set out on an adventure is to face uncertainty head on. It’s often in these moments when our true colors show. Adventure can be found around every corner. So get out there and explore! 

6. “I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro

Rosalia de Castro was a Galacian romanticist, writer and poet during the late 19th century. Although her quotation speaks to metaphorical travel, the sentiment remains: not knowing your destination is half the fun! You never know where a chance-encounter might lead. 

7. “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist whose writing style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction. Like Rosalia de Castro, Hemingway is celebrating the journey. To begin a trip with preliminary plans is helpful: embracing the unexpected is what turns a trip into a journey!

8. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

John A. Shedd was an American author and professor who lived during the first half of the 20th century. Travel propels us outward – by land or by sea. If you have the motivation, what’s holding you back? Like ships at sea, humans are equipped for mobility. It’s difficult to experience the world from the confines of your neighborhood. Next time you think you should play it safe and skip the trip, remember what you’re capable of – don’t let it go to waste!   
 

9. “We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.” – Hilaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian at the start of the 20th century. In this quote, he makes a distinction between wandering and traveling. While both activities can be productive, Belloc says that travel will provide greater satisfaction. Travel with a purpose, even if that purpose is simply ‘to go.’ 

10. "Swim out of your little pond." — Rumi

Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet; his quotation speaks for itself. There’s an ocean of opportunity beyond the boundaries of your local pond, so dive in and swim! 

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Sarah Sutphin

Sarah is an undergraduate at Yale University and a content editor for CATALYST. As a traveler who has visited 30 countries (and counting!), she feels passionate about international development through sustainable mechanisms. Sarah has taken an interest in the intersection between public health and theater, and hopes to create a program that utilizes these disciplines for community empowerment. She is a fluent Spanish speaker with plans to take residence in Latin American after graduation. 

7 Reasons to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro - and How to Do It Sustainably

Mount Kilimanjaro, commonly known as the “roof of Africa,” is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. At 19,340 feet, its snowcapped peak extends well above the clouds. Kilimanjaro is located in northeast Tanzania, towering over all of East Africa. Relative to other destination climbs, “Mount Kili,” as it is often known, is fairly easy. Nonetheless, the 75,000 individuals who summit the mountain each year push their bodies to the limit, experience Tanzanian culture and take in surreal views. 

1.) Mount Kilimanjaro is the most accessible of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on every continent. As the only Seven Summit hike free of technical climbing, Mount Kili does not require equipment like harnesses or ropes. Hikers simply need adequate physical fitness, a pair of hiking poles and their own two feet. 

2.) That’s not to say Mt. Kilimanjaro isn’t a thrilling, challenging adventure. It remains a taxing endeavor that demands strength, stamina and an awareness of potential oxygen deprivation. Most tour operators ensure that their clients consult a doctor before embarking on the climb. The hike, however, is predominantly safe, with altitude sickness being the main reason that hikers do not complete the climb. Ultimately, Mt. Kili is a realistic challenge that testifies to its hikers’ willpower. 

3.) Mt. Kilimanjaro is beautiful, both from up close and afar. Its paths scale across multiple climate zones, including lush rainforests, wide open moorlands and chilly glaciers. Additionally, the scenic campsites offer an ideal respite from a long day of trekking. 

4.) The mountain is a  dormant volcano composed of three different cones: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. Although Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, Kibo could erupt again. Along their journey to the top, hikers witness miles of lava and rock. The highest point on Kibo’s crater is Uhuru, or “freedom” in Swahili. 

5.) The hike lasts roughly one week. Ascents can take as few as four nights and as long as eight, depending on the route. Once climbers complete the challenge, they can descend the mountain and turn their attention to the surrounding wildlife. Northern Tanzania is teeming with wildlife and offers some of the best safari experiences in all of Africa. Elephant herds in Tarangire National Park, flamingos and pelicans at Lake Manyara, and wildebeest in the Serengeti are only a few of the wildlife encounters to be had in northern Tanzania. 

6.) Guides hail from surrounding parts of Tanzania. To the visitors, they teach Swahili hiking phrases, singsongs, and provide support during trying periods of the climb. On the trails, these porters call out “Pole pole!” (slowly slowly) to save their clients from altitude sickness. Before leaving the campsites in the morning, they often amplify the group’s energy with song and dance. 

7.) By making sustainable choices, hikers can exercise social responsibility and promote the welfare of hardworking porters, guides and cooks. The Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) is a nonprofit organization seeking to improve the working conditions of exploited porters. Although they are the backbone of the trek, oftentimes guides are ill-equipped, overworked and underpaid. KPAP suggests that hikers take action by giving mountain clothing to porters and selecting ethical climbing companies. A cheap Kilimanjaro trip means lower wages and poor working conditions for the Tanzanians who carry gear, cook for and guide tourists. When hikers purchase Kili climbing programs at non-exploitative prices, they not only indulge in Tanzania’s riches, but also give back to the community. 

Anna Wood

is an Anthropology major and Global Health/Spanish double minor at Middlebury College. As an anthropology major with a focus in public health, she studies the intersection of health and sociocultural elements. She is also passionate about food systems and endurance sports.

5 Spots for a Uniquely Uruguayan Experience

Uruguay is sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil, has a population of just over 3.5 million, and is home to miles of coastline facing the Atlantic Ocean. Although the climate is fairly mild throughout the year, the warmer summer months are when the tourist attractions really come alive. Uruguay pairs a generally laid-back culture, full of food and art, with trendy nightlife. Visitors can also venture away from the cities to more rural areas and explore an expansive countryside. Given Uruguay’s diverse landscapes and activities, any visitor is sure to have a memorable experience.

A view of the Rambla and the Montevideo skyline. Marisali. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Montevideo

Montevideo is the largest city in Uruguay as well as the capital. With a vibrant art scene and culture, Montevideo is an exciting place to explore. You can take a walk down the Rambla, a 14-mile boardwalk that offers an unobstructed view of the ocean as you wind through various neighborhoods in Montevideo. If you want to go to the beach, visit the Pocitos neighborhood, which is known for its beach and hosting nautical events throughout the year. In the Old City, tour the Solís Theater, a grand performance venue designed in a neoclassical style that echoes many of the other European-influenced buildings across the city. If you are craving a bite to eat stop by the Mercado del Puerto (Port Market), a hub of restaurants, cafes and shops overlooking the water. This is a great place to try eating at an Uruguayan parrilla, or wood-fired barbecue. 

La Mano in Punta del Este. Gamillos. CC BY-SA 2.0

Punta del Este

Two hours away from Montevideo is Punta del Este, a trendy summer spot and a popular escape from the bustling city. Punta del Este has expansive beach access, some of which are rougher and face toward the ocean (such as Playa Brava) while others are calmer and preferred by those with young families (like Playa Mansa). At night, people can go out to bars, restaurants and clubs all over the city, where events can go on until the sun comes up. If you’re interested in a sleepier part of town, visit José Ignacio, a seasonal fishing village to the east. The national dish of Uruguay, the chivito, originated in Punta del Este. You would be remiss if you did not take a moment to sample a chivito (a beef sandwich with a variety of toppings such as cheese, egg and tomato) while visiting. For a taste of the arts, you can visit the iconic hand sculpture, crafted by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal, or the gallery and sculpture park of renowned artist Pablo Atchugarry. 

An old building in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. DiegoOlivera_Uy. CC BY-NC 2.0

Colonia del Sacramento

A city with Portuguese roots, Colonia del Sacramento looks across the Rio de la Plata to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The cobbled streets of the Barrio Histórico are popular with visitors and this part of the city is labeled a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To enter this part of town you will cross a drawbridge of a former fortress. Notable landmarks include the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament, Convent of San Francisco, Calle de Portugal and the Colonia del Sacramento Lighthouse. This city will appeal to a wide range of visitors, from historians to vintage car enthusiasts.

Grapes hanging from the vine. UGA CAES/Extension. CC BY-NC 2.0

Wine Country

While in Uruguay, consider visiting one of many vineyards scattered across the country. Uruguay produces a variety of wines, but its signature red wine is called tannat. Although the wine originated in France, the Uruguayan version is considered to be softer due to the warmer climate. Many wineries will allow visitors to sample their wine and tour the grounds. You can visit popular wineries such as Bodega Bouza and Alto de la Ballena or organize a wine tour so you can experience a wide selection. Enjoy a glass while taking in the scenic Uruguayan landscapes.

Gauchos practicing in the countryside. Nicoyogui. CC BY-NC 2.0

Gaucho Country

Another part of Uruguayan culture worth learning about is gaucho culture, which was formed around the romanticized idea of a horse riding hero of the land who cannot be tamed. One standout detail of gaucho culture is the drinking of yerba mate, a bitter tea one drinks from a modified gourd. While the traditional gaucho is no longer as prevalent, modern-day gauchos can be found working on estancias, cattle ranches that can span hundreds of acres. With meat, especially beef, a major component of the Uruguayan economy, these estancias are extremely important. Nowadays, some gauchos have joined the tourist industry in Uruguay and are open to hosting visitors or providing guided rides where they can educate others about their culture. 

Phoebe Jacoby

is a Media Studies major and Studio Art minor at Vassar College who believes in the importance of sharing stories with others. Phoebe likes to spend her free time reading, drawing, and writing letters. She hopes to continue developing her skills as a writer and create work that will have a positive outward effect.

ECUADOR: The Galapagos

Andrew Norton recently got invited to visit the Galapagos islands in Ecuador. Just before returning home he called his wife, Katie, to tell her about it. A tale of trying quasi-adventurous things, Darwin marrying his cousin and riding a tortoise, and a kid that can do 1000 kick-ups, among other things.

Bike, Hike, Dive for Science

Want to help scientists find ways to protect butterflies, create a safe passage for wildlife and rid the oceans of microplastics? Well, if you’re up for the adventure, Gregg Treinish has got some work for you. With his nonprofit Adventure Scientists, he’s empowering everyone to volunteer and collect data and specimens, all while hiking, biking, diving and skiing. Using this large, crowd-collected dataset, he’s giving scientists the tools they need to tackle major environmental and health issues.

Unlearning by Bike — A Modern Hero’s Solo Journey from Thailand to Spain

Meet Nicole Heker, a 26 year old world traveler, writer, Director of Development at the Happy Kids Center in Bhaktapur, Nepal, and cycle tourist making her way from Thailand to Spain solo. 

When she graduated from Penn State University in 2015, her professor challenged her to “unlearn.” Not her well-earned education, but her limiting cultural myths and expectations. Discovering the symmetry between Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Carl Jung’s process of Individuation, Nicole set off to write her own myth by following her bliss. Her journey led her to teach english overseas, to backpack the 500 mile El Camino de Santiago in Spain, and eventually to becoming a core team member with the Happy Kids Center in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Their vision is to free the children of their community through education, health care, and the abolishment of child marriages. Since 2016, the Happy Kids Center has helped increase school enrollment by 45% and reduced child labor to 8%, with many of those attending school in addition to their work. And they’re just getting started. The Center is establishing long-term stability by hiring local staff and partnering with the government to offer incentive-based scholarships, community meal days, vocational programs, and child-marriage prevention initiatives. Ultimately, they don’t want to be needed anymore. They would rather see the community empowered to create its own change and growth in the future.

As part of that goal, and to continue her quest to “unlearn,” Nicole set out on a solo bicycle journey across Asia and Europe to raise $12,000, enough to cover an entire year’s worth of expenses for the Happy Kids Center.

Nicole’s journey began in Chiang Mai, Thailand on March 8, 2018, the International Day of the Woman. As a woman of symbols and rituals, this was an empowering day for her to embark. Soon, cycling across unknown landscapes became a moving meditation in which Nicole began to unlearn myths about what it means to be a productive human living a meaningful life. She’s learning to live slowly, like the shepherds and herders, but fiercely, like the Kyrgyz horse riders and Mongolian falcon hunters. She is learning to trust and rely on the good nature of people without naïvely closing her eyes to real-world dangers. She’s re-evaluating her needs, wants, and limits. No porcelain doll defined as a sweet, delicate, sexual thing, Nicole is becoming a woman who runs with the wolves.

The sheer joy of conquering mountains. @Jeremyj0hn. Used by permission.

Embracing the unknown is a key part of the journey for Nicole. With her eyes set on Sevilla, Spain as the finish line, she’s embracing the twists and turns along the way. She fell in love with the Mongolian steppes, trusted the flow through difficult border crossings, and traversed mountain passes and cultural barriers alike. Along the way, Nicole has learned first-hand the importance of caring for the land she travels through, how the most positive impact is often the least physical impact. As a cycle-tourer, she spends most of her time in the spaces between tourist destinations, and may be the first foreigner a local has ever met. Through such experiences, she has learned to respect each place she encounters as belonging to the locals and their culture, even when she doesn’t understand their customs. Traveling with an open heart has given Nicole the opportunity to see the world with a new clarity and shown her how people all over the world really want the same things.

Beside crystal blue waters. @Jeremyj0hn. Used by permission.

Nicole’s journey continues through the Republic of Macedonia, and her adventures can be followed and supported through her website, Unlearning By Bike. The best way to learn more about the Happy Kids Center is to visit their website at www.happykidscenter.org. There are multiple ways to get involved and support their work directly, including one-time donations to any of their campaigns, volunteering services such as media and web design, and becoming part of the Happiness Tribe through recurring monthly donations. Happiness Tribe members receive quarterly gifts and newsletters as well as invitations to special events.

Joseph Campbell describes the ideal life as being filled with one Hero’s Journey after another. Nicole Heker is certainly filling her life up. And most inspiring of all, she’s not hoarding her experiences for herself, but sharing them and the lessons she’s learning along the way with all of us.

By: Todd Holcomb

Gateway to the Ganges

Daily life in the Indian holy cities of Rishikesh, Haridwar, and Devprayag. This region lies in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Ganges River descends from the mountains. I visited not knowing what to expect, and I was both awed and saddened by the experience. The beauty of nature and the Hindu ceremonies contrasted with the poverty and suffering on the streets. The people I met had a high-spirited resilience that seemed to stem from surviving and maintaining their devotion through a challenging life.

SRI LANKA: Island of Dharma

Located at a maritime crossroad, the island of Sri Lanka has been influenced over thousands of years by cultures throughout Asia, largely including its neighbor, India. Home to spectacular riverscapes, numerous Hindu temples, and an array of wildlife, the island is truly something to behold. Here, videographer Piotr Wancerz, captures the people who reside in Sri Lanka going about their daily lives; from schoolchildren to fieldworkers. Explore the island's peaceful beaches, unique cuisine, ancient temples and busy city streets like you've never seen them before in this video.

Revolutionizing Ethical Travel for Women: Meet Purposeful Nomad

When Caitlin Murray met Alejandro and Agostina, conservationists and owners of Ecuadorian Mashpi Artisanal Chocolate Farm, she’d been living in South America for two years after a solo trip that inspired her to stay.  They showed her how their commitment to regenerating Ecuador’s cloud forest focuses on sustainable farming practices and educating others. They also gave her a taste of their handcrafted Arriba Cocoa bar that won first place in 2016’s International Chocolate Awards.  Inspired by their story and commitment to the environment, Caitlin wanted to bring others to their farm.

Volunteering abroad, solo backpacking, and working in the tourism industry, Caitlin realized in order to access culture and be socially responsible, she must find measurable ways to directly give back to local communities. Driven to create opportunities for women to collectively experience this, she founded Purposeful Nomad. Purposeful Nomad is a travel company that crafts deeper, safer, more ethically responsible travel for women.  They attract women from a variety of backgrounds and ages seeking a different kind of experience.  “I wanted to use tourism as something positive in the world and not just a consumerism ‘let’s take my life and emulate my life somewhere else’ ethos,” Caitlin explains.

Alejandro and Agostina, conservationists and owners of Ecuadorian Mashpi Artisanal Chocolate Farm educate Purposeful Nomad travelers about sustainable farming while sharing their award-winning handcrafted Arriba Cocoa bars. Jessica Scranton. Purposeful Nomad.

Two years after her visit to Mashpi Farm, Caitlin launched her first women-only sustainable social impact travel program in Ecuador - called Food, Farm, Fleece.  The 14-day itinerary integrates local experience and education.  Early on, the group meets with grassroots organization founders of Paqocha, Felipe Segovia and Lorena Perez to learn about their efforts to revive the alpaca population.  Next, they learn from Ecuadorian women how to shear, clean and spin the fleece with the opportunity to purchase handwoven wares directly from the makers.

Going through a transitional time in her life, Sara Carter signed up with Purposeful Nomad to “fulfill her desire to immerse herself in Ecuador's culture, food, and people, while affording her the chance to do it with like-minded women.” Within a few short years, Purposeful Nomad has grown to eight new locations and diversified itineraries - including Cuba, Morocco, India, and Guatemala.

Purposeful Nomad Founder, Caitlin Murray, (second from right) and women’s sustainable travel group gather after a village homestay and camel trek in the Thar desert, India. Jessica Scranton. Purposeful Nomad.

According to the World Tourism Organization as explained in CNBC’s article “Eco-Friendly Tourism” eco-travel is expected to climb to 1.8 billion by 2030.  Since 2000, worldwide destination seeking has jumped by more than 50 percent. As socially responsible travel continues to grow “we make sure our dollars stay local.  We’re not a luxury tour company,” says Caitlin. According to McColl of Ethical Traveler, the best way to travel sustainability is to get to know the local people so the “money stays in the local economy, rather than getting extracted by foreign corporations … as a bonus, it’s a more genuine experience, and a better chance to connect with local people.” Purposeful Nomad prioritizes local from lodging and cuisine to hiring knowledgeable guides.  Caitlin builds partnerships by talking to locals and finding ways to help. She doesn’t assume to know what a place needs. She asks. Would you like to work with us?  How can we help?  

According to MarketWatch, more than 1.6 million people volunteer on vacation each year, paying more than $2 billion annually to help out while traveling.  Nevertheless, it brings into question how much lasting impact they are generating.

Purposeful Nomad focuses on tapping into established grassroots organizations that are already happening on the ground and are a proven success to help measure their impact. “Bigger volunteer organizations, can create incredible infrastructures in developing countries, but once they pull out, the schools are empty.  We don’t want that,” Caitlin explains.

With the mounting popularity of conscious travel, terms like responsible, sustainable and ethical can often be overused or misused in the tourism industry.  Epicure & Culture contributor, Daniela Frendo explains, “In the travel industry, greenwashing refers to tour operators which make eco-trips seem more sustainable and ethical than they actually are.”  Travelers can mitigate this by asking travel companies whether they employ local people and buy locally-sourced products as well as learn more about how invested the company actually is in community-based projects. Aware of greenwashing, Caitlin says, “If you take shortcuts, people are going to know.” She thoroughly vets organizations and individuals to ensure there is transparency in where the money goes.

Back at the Masphi Farm, Alejandro and Agostina’s passion for conservation and keeping the Ecuadorian traditions of the cacao crop alive balances well with dishing out delicious artisanal chocolate.  So, for your next trip, consider traveling with a purpose—it doesn’t get much sweeter than that.

JULIA KRAMER is a New York-based writer and avid traveler who addresses systems changes to social challenges through storytelling and community building.  When she’s not writing or on the road, you will find her cooking something from her urban garden or hiking.  Read more of her articles on travel and social impact at julia-roos.com.

Alaska

Tim Kellner recorded this video to display his experience traveling in Alaska. In regard to his experience, Tim states “When I was a kid I would stare up at the giant stuffed grizzly bear in the Buffalo Science Museum and imagine seeing it alive and in the wild. That dream finally came true. I can't even begin to describe with words my experiences in Alaska so hopefully this video will capture just a small piece.” The music in the video is also by Tim.

Spirit of Kenya

Wow Tapes has taken us across the globe through videos demonstrating experiences have been as culturally exhilarating as this one. The filmmakers were accepted with broad smiles and open arms into a wonderful campfire evening with one of the many tribal groups in Masai Mara. Sitting under the moonlight, they heard tribal legends and felt the human-aspect of the animal-dominated savannah.

Corsica

Corsica is a mountainous Mediterranean island with large, thick forests. The places captured in this video are Porto, Plage de Porto, Tête du Chien, Gorges de Spelunca, Capo-Rosso, Tour de Turghiu, Calvi, Boucle de Ficaghiola, Lumio, Plage Arinella, Village d'Occi, Pigna, Eglise Sant’Antonino, l’île-Rousse, Plage de Ghjunchitu, Plage de Lozari, Désert des Agriates, Punta di Furmiguli, Plage de Saleccia, Saint-Florent, Nonza, Plage de Nonza, Eglise Santa-Giulia, Erbalunga, Corte, and Lac de Melu.

The Trail To Kazbegi

What happens when four like-minded adventurers head into one of the world’s wildest mountain ranges with nothing but their mountain bikes and enough food to survive for 10 days?

The answer? What doesn’t happen? Terrifying lightning storms. Raging-river crossings. Snow-covered glacial pass traverses. Mind-melting descents. Constant fights with vicious dogs. Tense encounters with over-zealous border-patrol guards.

All of the above were just another day following “The Trail to Kazbegi,” a self-supported mountain-bike mission through the highest reaches of the Caucasus Mountains in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Our four-man team—adventure filmmaker Joey Schusler, Bike magazine editor Brice Minnigh, photographer Ross Measures and mountain man Sam Seward—spent half of June 2015 exploring the crown jewels of the Georgian High Caucasus on a feature assignment for Bike.

CANADA: The Push

A Winter Journey into the Canadian Arctic

I twisted around, trying to free my arms from inside my jacket and bring them up to my head. The two hats I’d been wearing had fallen off and the cold night air now gnawed painfully at my ears. Fumbling inside my sleeping bag, awkwardly moving countless batteries, bottles, and fur boots from underneath me, I eventually found the hats and pulled them down over my ears. Through the numbness of gloved hands, I tried to locate the toggle at the hem of my bag. Several frustrated attempts later, I seized it and pulled the sleeping bag in tighter around me. It was 1.00am and I hadn’t slept a wink. 

The sun had set hours earlier and the northern lights had begun their nightly dance across the sky. A glittering green hue shimmered over the pale snow that lay beyond my open tent door. I switched on my head torch and its beam flashed against walls that were stiffened and brittle, encased in a hard veneer of ice. The thermometer showed -30˚C, or maybe just a touch below. Despite my tiredness, this was an incredible place to be: high in Canada’s Northwest Territory, up above the Arctic Circle, camping on a frozen river. I’d spent the past year travelling from the southern tip of South America to this point, now just a few days’ ride away from the frozen shores of the Arctic Sea marking the halfway point to my bike ride around the world. I was following nature’s frozen highways, taking to the ribbons of white that spill out across the land this far north; the rivers that are lifeless until spring when the ice gives way to the thaw.

But lying in that tent, alone, was a scary place to be. The walls began to quiver and shake and, adjusting my hats once more to clear them of my ears, I caught the unmistakable sound of a storm coming in. The gathering violence of the wind crescendoed in a deep, rumbling, basso growl as my tent sprung to life, buckling under the growing pressure. I peered out of the door to see no more green light dancing, no more stars shining overhead. Clouds had already gathered and I struggled to make out the banks of the river from where I lay. I quickly zipped the door closed, crawled into my bag and lay there, eyes wide open, listening to what was coming. 

The roar was overwhelming – chillingly thunderous and seemingly intent on tearing apart my diminutive shelter. Ice and snow shook free from the walls, showering me, pulsating and shivering likes motes in a snow globe. I lay utterly still, gripping the insides of my bag. I closed my eyes, trying not to imagine just how far away from help I was. I knew then that this storm, which had been forecast to hit some days from now, would be a game-changer. The thin cut of clear navigable ice I’d been cycling on down the river would be swamped. I knew I was stuck.

At some point in the early hours of the morning the storm passed, leaving in its savage wake a tent battered and bruised, and hanging limply from buckled poles. I turned over, shifting into a more comfortable position, waiting for sleep to wash over me once more, but in the eerie silence that hung over the landscape I caught a faint, far-off sound. Somewhere in the trees that towered over the river came the unmistakable sound of a wolf’s howl. Shit.

I’d passed through the small village of Fort McPherson the day before and there I’d been approached by a man. He’d heard about my ride and had come to impart some advice: be careful of those damn wolves, he told me. It’s been a long winter and they’ll be getting hungry. He then offered me his gun, but I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, so politely refused. He slapped me hard on the back and went on his way, but the image of wolves prowling the snow and ice ahead lingered. Now, the howls clung to the night air, first intensifying and growing louder, then joined by yet more cries. I fixed shut my eyes, willing the noise away, berating my mind for leaping to all sorts of unpalatable conclusions. I was gripped by a cold, dark fear, but eventually, mercifully, the baying faded. 

When morning finally arrived, and my eyes flashed open, I knew what lay ahead of me. I’d ridden roughly 100km from that last village, and the next one was about 60km further on. My ride down the river was supposed to be for only two days. I’d packed food for three, just to be sure. Crawling out of my tent I squeezed my feet painfully into frozen boots, old, second-hand army things, and took a few steps. My feet broke through the barely frozen crust and plunged into deep, crystalline snow beneath. Where bare ice had been the previous day, the only possible passage I had down the river had been swallowed up in the night, engulfed in thick, pillow drift snow; the wilderness had asserted its authority once more. I began melting snow to make breakfast and took stock of my situation. I had two days’ of food, 60km remaining distance to cover, and a 50kg bike. The snow was deep and soft; I knew I wasn’t going to be breaking any speed records. I grabbed a handful of oats and threw them in my pot – it didn’t look like much, but it was time to start rationing. I guessed I’d be pushing for four days, so unless I happened to stumble upon a miraculously well-stocked winter cabin, I had to make two days’ worth of food stretch.

It was tough to get going that morning, to get the tent packed away onto the bike, to leave my warm sleeping bag knowing what lay ahead. I won’t lie: I was unnerved by my situation, perhaps even scared. I knew how far out of my depth I was – a couple of lapses in concentration, exposing my fingers, face, or feet for too long, would be disastrous out here. I picked up the bike and stood it in the snow. It was time to start pushing.

That first day went by surprisingly easily. I made slow progress through the snow, but it was progress nonetheless. Somehow I managed to flick the ‘positive’ switch in my brain; I was overwhelmed neither by the cold, nor the hunger, not even by the relentless fear of wolves. But when that first day was done, when I was again tucked up in my sleeping bag, that switch turned off. Adrenaline seeped away. Those fears bloomed fresh and savage again and a sense of hopelessness washed over me. I’d come to the Arctic in winter to challenge myself, and to see a place few get the opportunity to experience. I had come in search of romantic solitude, to live within the pages of a Jack London novel; to travel through a land so culturally prominent in our ideas of adventure and heroism. Stuck on this desolate river, far away from friends and family, I realised that rather than experiencing sweet solitude, I was desperately lonely. All that had compelled me to come here, the emptiness, the beauty, the challenge, now towered over me and threatened to crush me into submission. Words jumped from Jack London’s pen that I instantly knew to be true: ‘The unending vastness crushed him into the remotest recesses of his own mind, pressing out all the false ardours and undue self values until he perceived himself finite.’

For three days I pushed my bike, by inches closer and closer, painfully slowly against a backdrop so vast I felt like an inadvertent drop of paint on a pure white canvas. Late on that third day, tired, lost, and seized by loneliness, I made out two bobbing lights closing in on me. I lifted the goggles from my face to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. Yet there they were, two lights approaching, and with them two men on snowmobiles. I waved and pushed my bike forward. They pulled alongside, switched off their engines, and beamed at me. I was confused. I couldn’t figure out what they were doing there. ‘We’re the local Search and Rescue team,’ one said. ‘We came to find you’. 

I was stunned. I later discovered that news of my journey had reached the town of Aklavik and, worried I’d not been seen since before the storm, the local police had dispatched a local Search and Rescue team to find me. They radioed back to the village and their words almost made me laugh: ‘We’ve found the guy here on Husky River, we’ll see if he wants a ride.’ They told me that the village was only a couple of kilometres away and that I’d pretty much made it. I didn’t think twice about jumping on the back of their snowmobiles. I wanted nothing more than to get off this river that had trapped me for three days as quickly as possible. As I stowed my bike and the rest of my kit, I caught sight of the gear they themselves had brought and I realised then the seriousness of my situation. They carried a gun for the wolves, and a body sled, just in case.

BEN PAGE is a multi-award winning filmmaker, adventurer and photographer based in Yorkshire. He has spent the past few years travelling to some of the world’s remotest corners in search of wild and diverse adventures and experiences, usually on two wheels.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SIDETRACKED

Travel to Cuba

A return to the past, old cars, colonial houses, and decoration anchored in the 50s. Cuba, marked by dictatorships and political revolutions, maintains its lifestyle intact. A tour of the north and center of the island: Havana, Viñales, Cayo Jutías, Playa Larga, Bahía Cochinos, Playa Girón, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Cayo Santa María.