Vandrelysten – Aching for the Distance
Cultural
U.K. 2010
From the Lowlands to the Highlands August 1st-23rd, 2010 Trip Conception, Goals, and Planning: In my second year of university, I became friends with a Scottish exchange student named Allan. We both loved walking, so we hatched a plan to meet the next summer in his country to try a long distance trek. As the … Continue reading
Japan 2009
Three Weeks of Japan Mania July 15th-August 5th, 2009 Trip Conception, Goals, and Planning: I’ve always been interested in Japan. Video games, sushi, manga, samurai, and most recently the Japanese language have all held my fascination at one point or another in my life. Growing up, I lived across the street from a wonderful Japanese … Continue reading
Six Funny Things about the Japanese Language
Japanese is a fun language to study, for travel purposes or to enjoy Japanese culture from afar. Because the language and the culture are both quite different from those you may be familiar with, it can be a funny experience to study Japanese as well! Here are a few things that always make me laugh … Continue reading
In Ochagavía
Ochagavía, Navarra, Spain – December 8th, 2010 For lunch on the second day of our road trip, Marketa and I stopped in Ochagavía, the most prominent village in Navarra’s Salazar Valley. We walked alongside the river, admiring the traditional architecture and taking pictures like crazy. Then we found a reasonably priced sidrería (Cider-house) to eat … Continue reading
Night View of Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan – July 17th, 2009 We filled our arms with cans of juice and beer and took the elevator to the top of Mayumi’s building. Our tour book recommended several places for a good view of Tokyo – from where I was standing, this one was hard to beat. We were shocked to be … Continue reading
The Smallest Corner
Where: Kamakura, Japan When: July 2009 Camera: Canon Powershot A550 ———————————————— A small city, a small street, a small corner beside a shop. What do you find there? In the United States I would expect maybe beer bottles and cigarette butts, maybe a trash can, maybe, at best, a potted plant or a bit of … Continue reading
Mexican Walmart
I love visiting grocery stores in other countries. So much is the same, that it makes what’s different really stand out. Some things that surprised me as a visitor from the U.S. were unrefrigerated milk in big cartons and new flavors of microwave popcorn (caramel, jalapeño, chile with lemon!) and ramen (seafood, cheese, and more … Continue reading
Spain 2010
A Semester in the Basque Country of Spain August 23rd-December 19th, 2010 Trip Conception, Goals, and Planning: Pure pragmatics led me to Pamplona. I was studying Spanish and Journalism, and looking to study abroad. The program at the University of Navarra Pamplona was the obvious fit – the only Journalism program taught in a language … Continue reading
