Island Time
Travelling goes hand in hand with making discoveries and learning something new but this time I may have hit the jackpot – I have learnt how to become totally relaxed. The location for the source of this new found skill is Gili Trawangan, a tiny paradise island in Indonesia and a short hop skip and jump from popular Bali. Let me set the scene – calm, clear water lapping at the shores of white beaches, no cars, just bikes or horse and cart for... Read More
Tunes and Tombs: Solo Sammy Goes to New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina Monument “Let the good times roll,” indeed! As the play closed, I had one week of spring break left and ran off to New Orleans for four days. It was not restful, but it was a different type of necessary. “It’s a small town, but it’s a busy city,” said one of my very clever and friendly cabbies. It was everything I needed for my first solo vacation. There was the music–everywhere, live, and impressive. There... Read More
A Different Kind of Siren
I’ve become accustomed to the sound of rocket sirens, the blaring noise that wakes you up in the middle of the night, prying you from the depths of REM sleep, urging you to get to your safe place within 60 seconds. I thought growing up in Manhattan meant that I was used to sirens, but these are different. A long wailing cry, usually followed by a boom. A rocket landing. Even though it’s happened only a few times since I moved to Israel, that’s... Read More
My Five Go Girl Goals for 2011
If your world is anything like mine, the past few weeks have been crazy, for travelers and homebodies alike. Between flight delays (and cancellations), the crush of holiday shoppers and shopping, joyous and not so joyous family reunions, blizzards, awful energy-sucking colds, and the early darkness that settles over New England, December is not a month for weaklings. It’s not a month for dawdling or downtime, either, at least not now that I’ve... Read More
Discovering the Beauty of Dependence
Dependence in action I had a revelation yesterday. Well, actually it began last Friday. Well, actually I’ve been piecing things together for the past several months, but didn’t begin to articulate it until yesterday. I was taking the subway home after a department dinner with my school when I began reflecting on my life in Korea, and how I may have changed as a person since leaving the States four months back. There are a couple... Read More
On baggage, weightiness, and traveling light.
I’ve had a lot of trouble writing this post. I had trouble deciding what to write about, and finally settled on writing about the idea of “traveling light:” what the phrase really means, when one pauses to think about it, and how it applies to the way one lives one’s life, not just as a traveler, but as a human being. I’d hoped to approach this through writing about packing and “pack-ratting”, and about the ways in which traveling a... Read More
NYC
For millions world over, New York City is a mythical place. It’s the Big Apple, where stars are born, and the city that famously never sleeps. In my family, it was always an explanation and some of my earliest memories as a traveler come from that famous town. For a number of reasons, the city has been on my mind these past few weeks, so I wanted to share my discovery of the city with GoGirl. I am fascinated by the sharing of cultures... Read More
Ways to get your hot self in photos when you’re traveling solo
By LillieCatch her adventures at http://aroundtheworldl.comPonder: If you’re traveling alone, how do you get yourself in your photos? Here’s a buffet of options. 1. Hold that arm out, grin at the wobbling lens, then click! This usually eats about forty shots before more of your face than your top hair tuft appears in the resulting photo. Furthermore, your big honkin’ head will inevitably totally obscure the cool tourist attraction... Read More
Boleia!
By Beth“Boleia!” the men shout to me from the sides of the road as I whiz by on my blue Suzuki motorcycle. This is how you flag down a ride when you see a motorcycle taxi go by in São Tomé. But directed to me it is more of a joke, of course- there are no female motorcycle taxi drivers, and certainly no white ones. It makes me smile because the São Tomeans play with me the way an aunt or uncle or cousin would- lightly making fun that, in some... Read More
Concerts, Confidence and Courage
Concerts, Confidence and Courage by Lisa I have a confession to make. I love solo travel. (That’s not the confession…stick around a minute, I’m getting to it.) When I’m traveling alone, I feel fearless about being alone. I have no qualms about wandering museums, hiking trails, restaurants, and pubs by myself. I am content with my own company, not shy about striking up conversations with others or tacking myself onto... Read More
