Matador Network's Blog, page 2120

Away from Cleveland too long

Photo: Steven Gripp

1. Where’s the Soda?

Elsewhere, it’s just a disgusting carbonated drink made only mildly more acceptable when rum is introduced. But in Cleveland, it’s in reference to the Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop where lines stretch down the street during the summer for a taste of 1950’s nostalgia and the city’s best ice cream.

2. You’re looking for a park.

Few things in this world, much less in the United States, beats the combination of the Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Frankly, parks are a disappointing afterthought without the Emerald Necklace around.

3. And, where’s the Rapid!?

Public transit is dismal in much of the United States and Cleveland is no exception in a state where mowing highway grass sees better funding. Still, having a train get you from Ohio City to Shake Square in less time than driving deadly highways is pretty incredible. The rest of the world needs to get on board with trains — pun absolutely intended.

This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More


4. You’ve lost track of Cleveland sports.

Living in Cleveland comes with constant reminders of how every team is performing, or more likely, underperforming — even if you hate sports. Sundays have lost their miserable charm without the constant bellowing echo of the collective Cleveland sports heartbreak.

5. You’ve lost your nasally “A”.

Something strange happens when Clevelanders try to pronounce the letter “A”. It’s not as pronounced as, say, a Boston or Chicago accent. But it’s most certainly there, like you’re plugging your nose during the second syllable of “Cleveland.” Not wanting to sound like you have a constant cold, you’ve tried to rid yourself of the sound by more methodically pronouncing the name of your hometown to new friends.

6. You’re generally happier.

There’s no hiding that Cleveland generally does not do well in rankings of overall happiness, owing to a variety of factors better left to a Time Magazine article. Yet a true Clevelander masochistically misses feeling miserable — kinda like Harvey Pekar. What gives?

7. You realize there is a severe lack of breweries where you are.

You mean neighborhood development isn’t usually surrounded by breweries taking over? Blasphemy! Give me my Christmas Ale or whatever the current seasonal variety of Great Lakes Brewing Company is now!

8. No more Cleveland articles in your Facebook feed.

You’ve been away and have added new friends from your new home. Suddenly those ubiquitous articles from national publications declaring Cleveland’s relevance have started to disappear from your Facebook feed. But fear not! Rest assured that everyone in Cleveland is still sharing positive articles about the city without even reading them.

9. You’re out of shape.

Hardly a weekend goes by without some sort of running or bike race in the region. Even if it’s just a 5K for your aunt’s friend’s charity, you’re constantly moving in Cleveland.

10. You miss Mass.

Mass is an important aspect of Cleveland life. Making time for it brings you closer to your city and maybe even to yourself. There’s simply nothing like biking Critical Mass in Cleveland…what did you think I was talking about?

Differences b/w Southerners and rest

Photo: Levi Sanford

1. No matter the relationship, we’re gonna wave at you.

Do you know the jogger passing in front of you at the crosswalk or the frazzled woman in the Sedan pulling out of the Piggly Wiggly? Maybe, but probably not. As a Southerner, you feel a type of obligation to stretch your hand out for at least three seconds and give a nod to every person you see passing by. We like to acknowledge your presence, even if we don’t know you.

If you don’t wave first, you’re weird. If you don’t reciprocate a wave that you receive, you’re just an asshole.

2. Food is actually our way of life.

Cajun shrimp, creamy grits, and thick andouille sausage marinated in a cajun butter sauce; doughy dumplings soaked in chicken broth; fried green tomatoes dunked in cajun remoulade; sweet, buttered cornbread; pecan pie held together by Karo syrup; biscuits covered in peppered white gravy; juicy peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream; Sweet Baby Ray’s slathered ribs; fried chicken and waffles with hot syrup; sweet tea.

‘Nuff said.

3. We believe Snowpocalypses can happen with just a few inches of snow.

A simple weather forecast that goes something like: “Well, we’re not really sure we know what we’re talking about, but there’s a chance there may be three inches of snow this weekend…” results in the grocery stores turning into post-apocalyptic wastelands and the roads being abandoned in a chaotic mess of slush.

Whenever we get a few inches of snow in the south, someone has a baby in their car while taking 18 hours to drive 3.5 miles to the hospital. And Chick Fil-A will send the National Guard to deliver fried chicken meals to stranded passengers. But then again, what do you expect when the city only supplies three salt trucks? And two of them wreck on their way out of the parking lot — into each other.

4. We’re behind the times.

You can love your region without loving the racism, homophobia, religious intolerance, and Confederate flags waving behind jacked up trucks. Come on, South. Get with the picture.

5. And we don’t take religion or football lightly.

With a church always in a rock’s throw, there’s a reason it’s called the Bible-Belt. But you won’t fully get the experience until you drive past a tent with snake handlers drinking strychnine or overhear a prayer group blessing the football game later that night. Roll tide?

6. Our cologne is OFF!

Unless you want to pick gnats out of your eyes or slap yourself every five seconds to keep mosquitoes from feasting on you during the humid summers, you better douse yourself in bug spray like it’s Chanel No. 5.

7. We actually drink moonshine.

Peach, blackberry cobbler, apple pie, pumpkin spice — there’s a flavor of high-proofed distilled Southern spirit for everyone to get drunk on here. And you don’t even have to look for a sketchy hermit hiding in the mountains to find some. You’ll probably get it served to you in a mason jar at your work’s Christmas party.

8. We monogram everything we own.

Everything in our possession must absolutely be personalized with the exact same curly script.

9. We can stretch any single syllable word into at least two syllables.

We’re native speakers in the language of diphthongs.



This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More


10. We react to every misfortune with a casserole.

Death in the family, a nasty divorce, a flat tire — there’s no tragedy that doesn’t warrant a casserole. However, discovering that your fridge won’t close because it’s slammed full of chicken and green bean casserole dishes, that you have to eventually return, kind of feels like a tragedy in itself. Not to mention the hand-written thank you note you’re now expected to mail.

11. We don’t road trip without boiled peanuts.

Off just about any exit in the South, you’ll find a vegetable stand with the plumpest, juiciest boiled peanuts in a bag for $5. Bite into the cajun seasoned shell, slurp out the peanuts, wipe the salty juice off your chin, and toss the husks out the open window. Repeat.

12. There is nothing that can’t be deep-fried and put on a stick.

Vegetables, oreos, beer, butter. I’ll try two of each.

Signs you're a British '90s kid

Photo: smbuckley23

1. You still know the tune that accompanies the phone number of 081-811-8181 and also sadly 0891 50-50-50.

2. You know which side of the Take That / East 17 and the Blur/Oasis battle you were on…and you probably still hold firm to it.

3. You grew up thinking that SodaStreams were possibly the coolest thing in the world.

4. You remember TV quiz shows where the top prize was not a life-changing sum of money, but was dished out more like this:

A man dressed as a BHS mannequin counts out 180 quid in used tenners before posing the dilemma, “Trevor and Denise, you’ve got the sunbed and the coffee percolator — they’re yours to keep — but do you want to gamble that one hundred and eighty pounds for a chance to take that speedboat back to Bolton.”

More like this: 9 signs you've never really eaten British food

5. Getting gunged seemed like a real possibility.

6. At the age of 8, your entire social status rested on how many colourful plastic dummies / trolls / rubbers you had.

7. Blank tapes and videos were sacred and usually used to record the Sunday Night Top 40 or your favourite band on the Smash Hits Poll Winners’ Party.

8. Your prize possession was your extensive collection of Now That’s What I Call Music cassettes.

9. Bouncer seemed like a perfectly normal name for a dog.

10. And Mrs Mangle was the biggest villain you knew.

11. You can remember the next line to this: “Have you ever, ever felt like this. When strange things happen…”

12. You would have given anything to get a chance on the Crystal Maze.

13. You got ready for school every morning in front of Big Breakfast.

14. You definitely owned at least one of the following: rollerblades, a Head Bag, a Funfax, Reebok popper tracksuit bottoms, and Fila Trainers.

15. The day you first stepped out in a shell suit you thought there was no one cooler than you.

16. You still think nothing on TV today beats Art Attack with Neil Buchanan.

17. Your first computer took about a day to turn on and another week to load your favourite game before it got stuck and you had to start all over again…

18. You wanted to live in Beverly Hills 90210 and to hang out at the Peach Pit.

19. Mr Blobby was a key part of your Saturday night entertainment and Ed the Duck and Gordon the Gopher took the morning slots.

20. You had a Tamagotchi for a week or so before it got lost down the back of the sofa and the poor thing ‘died’.

21. Girls definitely had the Rachel Cut and teamed it with a pleated skirt and a t-shirt with a heart on it, jacketed casually with a lumberjack shirt.

22. Boys had curtains teamed with high-waisted jeans and a Day-Glo t-shirt tucked in and that lumberjack shirt tied round the waist like Joey.

23. You knew Ricki Lake only as a talk show host and Blossom before she became a nerd.

24. You thought crimped hair was the coolest and your ruined your baby-soft locks with the evil that was Sun-In, giving yourself orange hair for the next year.

25. You still know all the words to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air rap and The Bartman.

More like this: 8 things we Irish really think of our English neighbors

26. You remember when Monster Munch really packed a punch and when Salt and Shake crisps still existed.

27. You first got drunk on a bottle of super sweet Hooch or an equally cloying Bacardi Breezer.

28. And the first cigarettes you bought were in a ten pack that you bribed some poor passer-by to buy you with a handful of coppers.

29. In the only pub in town with a late license, every Saturday night on the dance floor you got knocked down — but you got up again before being way too sexy for the song.

30. In your day, penny sweets really were a penny and getting pic ‘n’ mix was the best thing ever!

How to piss off a Serbian

Photo: Misko78

1. Ask about Kosovo.

If you want to piss off a Serbian quickly and irrevocably, just casually raise the question over the region’s independence. This matter is not something to be taken lightly. When it comes to Kosovo; our nation is divided between ‘Kosovo is Serbia forever’ people, ‘Can we just forget about it and get on with our lives’ people and those who actually lost someone in the riots. You can never be sure what group your interlocutor belongs to before you hit the nerve.

2. Ask us where Serbia is on the map.

As small as our country is, there still are smaller ones in Europe. Somehow, everyone knows where Brussels is located, but they can’t even begin to find Belgrade on the map. On that note, you can piss us off by not knowing what our capital city even is. We are not asking too much here — it’s 7th grade Geography we’re talking about.

More like this: 4 signs you're at a Serbian wedding


Ask us if we speak Russian.

Russian and Serbian are not even that similar. It is even worse if you say you thought they were because we use the same alphabet. We do use Cyrillic like Russians and Mongolians, but, no, we don’t speak Mongolian either, in case you were wondering.

Put mom’s cooking in question.

Serbian family evenings are simple — everyone watches TV while mom does all the cooking. According to Serbian beliefs — which are thankfully becoming outdated — a woman’s place is in the kitchen. We know how much time and love our moms put into making us a meal and we appreciate it. Everyone else should, too.

Ask how much our politicians earn.

Talking about politics, politicians and their salaries makes us even angrier than joking about our mom’s cooking. In Serbia, people believe that politicians’ salaries are disproportionately high compared to the lousy jobs they do.

Tell us the wrong kind of joke.

We like jokes and we tell a lot of them, but our humor is very specific. We include many other nations in our jokes, but the main point of all of them is that the Serbian wins in the end. Always. He has to be smarter than anyone mentioned and he has to complete the task the best. If you manage to make up a joke in which the Serbian is not victorious, that will drive us up the wall.

Put us behind a wheel.

You’ve not understood the meaning of a pissed-off Serb before you’ve gone for a car ride with one behind a wheel. Just being in the traffic and driving a car pisses us off more than anything — or so it seems, according to the diversity of curses you can count on hearing during the rush hour.

This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More


Jeopardize the true taste of a burger.

While the rest of the world eats burgers, we have our own version of this fast food item — pljeskavica. It’s a bun stuffed with a hot-from-the-grill minced meat burger and a pile of condiments. Nothing can spoil your day like the server forgetting the spicy sauce.

Talk about the neighbor’s cow.

A few years ago the national television aired an ad with a catchy phrase: “Let neighbor’s cow be live and well.” This referenced the determination of Serbians to do better in life than their neighbor. Serbs love to compare themselves with people in close proximity, whether that be regarding money, happiness, success or the color they choose to paint the house. Sometimes it’s better to just not mention the cow at all.

Meet Myanmar in these 10 images

With 135 different ethnic groups, many wearing distinctive clothing and practicing unique traditions, Myanmar is a mosaic of traditional cultures. Last February I traveled around Myanmar, visiting many of the famous sites, but I found my attention being stolen from the temples and pagodas and directed toward the people. This collection of portraits show the faces of Myanmar’s rich and varied culture.

All photos by the author.

1

Spending his days outside the gates of a giant reclining Buddha at Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda in Yangon. I found him tossing a coin on the pavement while his parents make a living by checking in shoes for tourists before they enter the sacred site.

2

Mornings around the Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery involves lots of moving. Young monks cleaning, washing their robes, heading out for pindacara to collect alms. One youthful monk pauses from it all as he takes in the stillness from a window in the rear of the monastery.

3

Waking up early to make it to the Mingun Pagoda in time to sell today's flowers to the first worshipers of the morning. Since she could remember, this young lady and her mom have been selling flowers every weekend here outside of the enormous brick temple famously eye-catching due to large cracks splitting the building on all sides.

This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn more




4

In the famous town of Bagan most notably known for its temples, off the main roads, away from the famous sites and the hotels, there exists more intimate scenes. Many come here just for the temples but by venturing off the roads shown on your travel guide you may find a more personal connection to the country. Lily and her sisters haul bundles of wood back to their house every morning in order to fuel the stove for breakfast.

5

Two monks having their breakfast with some friends off the more secluded back steps of Mingun Pagoda very willingly volunteered for a photo shoot given the condition that they got to pick which photos to keep.

6

A fisherman off the Ngwe Saung coast casts his net hoping for a catch to sell at one of the many hotel restaurants that line this wide, white-sand stretch of beach.

7

A popular leisure activity for some in Myanmar is passing the time puffing on cheroot. Cheroot is mostly found in India and Myanmar and the actual name means "roll of tobacco."

8

Some members of the Kayan tribe have left their ancestral villages and can now be found working a loom weaving colorful scarves for souvenir shops in stilt villages around Lake Inle.

9

A quiet monk takes a rest from his morning duties of sweeping the dark teak floors of the temple. He had not been at the monastery for as long as many of the other boys, but he said he enjoyed the lifestyle for all the opportunities for quietness and peace.

10

It's hard to make a living in Bagan without being involved in the government or in tourism. Maya spends the hot afternoons at famous temples where she peddles her family's home made scarves and souvenirs to visitors.

Signs you learned to drink in Texas

Photo: Kristen Ortwerth-jewell

1. You are a master at solving the puzzles on the underside of Lone Star bottle caps.

2. Any place that serves a margarita smaller than your head is sub-par.

3. You consider a 12oz beer “small.”

4. You’ve asked a bartender for a pitcher and one glass.

5. You know there are two kinds of parties – those that serve Shiner Bock and those that serve Lone Star.

This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More

6. Sixth Street in Austin. ‘Nuff said.

7. You’ve bragged about the quality of Texas wines, because, you know, Texas.

8. If you drink beer from a bottle, it has to be a longneck, and you hold it with your index finger crooked around its throat.

9. If you drink beer from a glass, it is in a frosted schooner the size of a cantaloupe.

10. If you drink beer from a can, you use a koozie, and there is a good chance it is camo print. Sparkle camo if you’re fancy.

11. The two-step actually gets easier with each drink.

12. You can open a beer bottle with almost anything.

13. You’ve hidden a flask in your boots.

14. You’ve found yourself at a Whataburger after the bars close.

15. Your hangover cure includes an ice-cold Topo Chico and a breakfast taco.

16. You’ve added rum to Dr. Pepper…and probably put it in a Sonic cup.

17. Even with places like Deep Ellum, the Depot District, and the River Walk, you know the best place to enjoy an ice cold beer is sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck.

11 reasons NOT to go to Argentina

1. Iguazu Falls are probably not that impressive.

A photo posted by Gerardo Olivas (@gerolivas) on Mar 31, 2015 at 5:37pm PDT

2. Why would you want to visit weird colored mountains? They won’t get you any more likes on Instagram.

A photo posted by @irinaerika on Mar 31, 2015 at 6:27pm PDT

3. Travel all the way to end of the world only to see a big block of ice surrounded by mountains? You have more exciting things to do.

A photo posted by Jasmeet Ess (@jasmeetess) on Mar 31, 2015 at 8:18pm PDT

4. Scuba diving with sea lions is overrated.

A photo posted by A.E (@backpackwalker) on Mar 28, 2015 at 3:57pm PDT

5. Being alone and surrounded only by nature in Patagonia looks a bit boring.

A photo posted by @bexmorrison on Mar 31, 2015 at 2:08am PDT

6. Alfajores are just another sweet. You have your own desserts at home, no need to try anything new.

A photo posted by Damian Palopoli (@dlpalopoli) on Mar 31, 2015 at 4:14am PDT

7. A bookstore in a theater? Too weird, and not even photogenic.

A photo posted by M a r g a u x (@margotoargentina) on Dec 29, 2014 at 1:56pm PST

8. Live tango? Why bother? That’s what YouTube is for!

A photo posted by Kristen (@kayday.0) on Mar 31, 2015 at 1:08am PDT

9. Meat is meat, don’t be fooled.

A photo posted by Tetilia (@ce_centenaro) on Apr 5, 2015 at 4:42pm PDT

10. Same with wine.

A photo posted by Laura Catena (@lauracatenamd) on Mar 30, 2015 at 7:17am PDT

11. Why on Earth would you want to hang out with these guys, anyway? They’re not so cute.

A photo posted by e_or_e (@e_or_e) on Mar 29, 2015 at 8:14pm PDT

Portraits of Yosemite's free spirits

Torrential waterfalls and towering granite walls draw thousands of visitors into Yosemite National Park each summer. The majority of visitors only stay for a day; however, a small group of free-spirited individuals will spend the summer in the park working as seasonal employees.

While some of them moved in for the world-class climbing right outside their yurts and others are looking for some quiet time away from the city, one thing is certain: They are on a long-term paid vacation in one of America’s most popular national parks.

All photos by the author.

1

Jamie Cherry, team leader/hiker, Gainsville, Florida

Jamie has worked in the park for two seasons; hiking is her passion and she does it just about every week.


“I love being able to explore the park so easily. People come to Yosemite from all over the world. I am fortunate to be able to call it home.”

2

David & Holly Dennis, visitor center information assistants/climbers & hikers, Monterey, California

“When you live here all summer the park becomes more than your home, you truly become attached to it. Meeting new people from all over the world in such wonderful scenery is our favorite aspect about being able to live in Yosemite.”

3

Trevor Ruiz, junior cook/leisurely climbs & boulders, Boise, Idaho

Trevor started working as a seasonal employee for the summer, but after five months his manager offered him a full-time position.


“I wanted to take a break from school, and staying in a boring hometown wasn’t really an option. My best friend convinced me to come to Yosemite.”

Intermission


187
The 20 coolest towns in the US
by Matador Team



1
Couple attempting to climb North America’s 50 classic routes
by JoAnna Haugen



11
These photos of a lost Mongolian tribe are incredible
by Matt Hershberger













4

Nathan Pacheco, cashier/climber, San Jon, New Mexico

Nathan spends almost all of his free time bouldering. Whenever he gets more than a couple of days off he can be found climbing the granite walls that surround the valley.


“Wanted to surf, but the swell went flat one day. With the park (Yosemite) only a few hours away I decided to make the drive; I lived out of Camp 4 and climbed until I ran out of money, then decided to apply for a job. Been here since.”

5

Courtney Nigh, buss girl/semiprofessional hanger outer, Visalia, California

Courtney applied to work in Yosemite at the last possible minute. She was only supposed to stay for three months but fast forward two years and she still lives in Yosemite.


“Taking long walks and finding quiet spots is my favorite pastime.”

6

Cayla Eggemeyer, receptionist/hiker, Santa Barbara, California

Cayla took the suggestion from a family member who had previously worked in the park and moved in. Now she can be found riding her bicycle or hiking one of the many trails throughout the park.


“I came to get away from everything for a little while and having the park as your backyard really helps the cause.”

7

Taylor Sincich, cashier/big wall climber, Clearwater, Florida

After getting a philosophy degree from the University of Florida, Taylor wanted to climb as much as possible. Since moving into Yosemite, he has sent routes in Half Dome, El Capitan (Yosemite’s most prominent climbs), Liberty Cap, and others.


“I basically get pay to climb and live in Yosemite Valley. I love waking up and looking at half dome every day.”

How to piss off someone from Toronto

Photo: Alvin Woon

Outsiders claiming they’re Torontonians.

I’m looking at you 905-ers.

Randomly approach us on the street.

No matter where you walk to in Toronto, you’ll get approached at least once. It could be someone trying to sell you a Tootsie Roll for “fundraising” purposes, a religious advocate spreading the word, or a local artist selling their mix tape. Call us rude but to navigate the chaos of Toronto, we throw on headphones as a ‘screw off’ sign and barrel our way through the city. The last thing we want is a tap on the shoulder – that’s human contact gone too far.

Say Vancouver is better than Toronto.

There’s a definite rivalry. Vancouverites think Torontonians are cold, stuck-up, workaholics who never leave the city. Torontonians throw it back saying the West Coasters are hippie, granola-types that start work at noon. Then throw in the sports rivalry – Canucks vs. Leafs – and you’ve got a real battle.

Talk loudly on the TTC.

OMG, Chrissy did whaaaat?! No one cares. Rush hour on the TTC is already painful. It’s either early in the morning and you’re already jammed into someone’s armpit or you’ve just finished a long day and you barely even made it on this streetcar. The last thing a Torontonian needs is a recap of the daily drama between two friends or a dramatic monologue from someone talking on the phone. The most interaction you should see on the subway is when two people awkwardly catch eyes across the aisle.

Point out the way we say ‘Toronto.’

No one from Toronto pronounces the second ‘t.’ It comes out sounding more like: Traw-na, Tuh-ra-no, Toronno, or Ta-raw-no. One guy on Reddit even pointed out that Don Cherry says it as ‘taranna.’ But we don’t notice it. That is, until someone else points it out. After I started traveling, dozens of people started to mimic the way I said Toronto, making me self-conscious to say my own city’s name. I started to say “I’m from Tor-on-toe” even though I know that’s a dead giveaway you’re not from the city. It’s similar to being asked as a Canadian to repeat ‘aboot’ a dozen times. To you, it gets funnier, to us; it’s a pain in the ass.

Insult our sports teams.

It’s an embarrassment to cheer on losing teams year after year, especially in a country that includes hockey in its national identity. To have the ESPN dub us the “Worst Sports City in North America” for our poor performance record only added to our downtrodden attitudes. Yet despite it all, we continue to tell ourselves, “this is our year.” Then as the season drags on, we start telling ourselves “next year – we’ve got this.” It’s probably one of the reasons our fans have still managed to make the Maple Leafs the most valuable franchise in the NHL for nine years running.

Say to a Torontonian, “You seem like you’re from a small town.”

There is a certain naivety associated with small towns. In the city, there is a lot more going on, places to see and a faster pace. This city is cut throat and competitive and you won’t be embraced immediately because networks are large and most Torontonians have already chosen who they want to spend time with. So telling someone they seem like an outsider is like saying they don’t have what it takes to make it here.

This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU. Learn More


Don’t pay attention to where you’re going.

One of the worst things you can do is get lost in a daydream and airily step off the streetcar into oncoming traffic. Next thing you know you’re in a six-bike pileup, getting sworn at from all sides and the TTC driver has already driven off.  Or maybe you’ve been entranced by the bright lights of Yonge-Dundas and you stop suddenly to take a picture. You’ll be shoved out of the way before you can press click.

Call us unfriendly.

It takes a hard shell to make it in this city. Penetrating that shell is like chipping away at ice – it takes some persistent effort. But at the core, we’re not unfriendly, we’re just proud. We’re proud to live here. I mean, we have a citywide capture the flag night and an axe-throwing league, what else do you need?

9 lost souls I met on the road

Photos: alenka_getman

1. Dean

Amsterdam, Netherlands — 2005

I met Dean in the basement of the Flying Pig, coming down from my first bad mushroom trip, feeling shaky and misplaced in the world. He was much older than me, and was the first person I’d ever met who had made a life out of traveling. He wasn’t vacationing, or backpacking through Europe, or on a Gap Year. He had no home base.

I trusted him immediately because his unmooring was so much more unstable than I felt — and he had chosen it. He had spent several months in Amsterdam, and was friends with the proprietor of the coffee shop that that year had grown an award-winning bud for the Cannabis Cup. As we smoked, his truths became mine. “It’s possible to live on dreams,” he said. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

2. Annelise

Madrid, Spain — 2004

Annelise was from Argentina. She had a fiery, curly moptop that perched above a sun-worn face and laugh wrinkles around her clear green eyes. She dressed like she was Ginsberg’s muse. Every night she’d recite her terrible poetry in the hostel kitchen, and one evening, bolstered by wine, I told her I was a poet too. She dragged me out that very night to one of the poshest bars in Chueca, where hip Madrileños sipped expensive cocktails, seated in red velvet banquettes.

It was not an open mic night, but Annelise “knew” the proprietor and convinced him to let us perform. No one present had any reason to listen to an older Argentine croon “Porque, porque porque porque” or a young American slam about frustrations with the Iraq War and President Bush. I felt my cheeks flush hot and was almost crying after finishing, the tittering and cruelty of the posh Madrileños almost too much to bear. Annelise toasted me and told me that I had been “fucking fantastic,” and she meant it. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if the crowd laughs or even if they ignore you completely: Sometimes you just have to do something for the sake of doing it. Once you’ve faced a serious fear, it’s no longer a fear at all.

3. Geoffrey

Goa, India — 2012

It sounds cliché, but one look into Geoffrey’s eyes and anyone could sense he understood things differently than the rest of us. He didn’t have a hint of malice or anger or disappointment in his body — and how could he — tanned and strong and knowledgeable as he was after spending the past decade on the road. He taught me how to fix my dreads, where to find holy babas in Banyan trees, and, most concretely, how to sustain travel without any sort of trust fund or money from home.

Geoffrey didn’t live on dreams. He had more work experience and know-all than almost anyone I’ve ever met, having worked in hotels and cruise ships and farms and seed nurseries around the world. Last I heard he had just headed back to Australia for the millionth time.

4. Trivia

Oregon, USA — 2008

I was a WWOOF volunteer on Trivia’s goat farm in the middle of nowhere, southern Oregon for six weeks. She was admittedly a little wacky (a Scientologist conspiracy theorist who I’m sure was severely disappointed when the world didn’t end with the Mayan calendar), but she had more innate knowledge about how the land works and was more comfortable in her solitude than anyone I’ve ever met.

She never made apologies or excuses for her strangeness, and if you were in her presence, she expected you to believe too. “The thing about being a mystic,” she told me, “is that you remember. If you follow that train, which in mysticism is deep meditation, it takes you all the way back to past lives.”

5. Robbie

Koh Rong, Cambodia — 2014

Sometimes when shit hits the fan, the only thing to do is run.

There’s absolutely no shame in this, despite what pop culture may dictate. Sometimes it takes more strength to leave than it does to stay. Some people go to therapy; others go traveling. Such was the case with Robbie (and, full disclosure, myself on more than one occasion). Robbie had left an impossibly rough situation in his home country and found a new family, a new life, a new purpose on the fabled shores of Koh Rong — an island meant for misfits and miscreants with good hearts. It’s never too late to redefine yourself and start again.

6. Eder

Barcelona, Spain — 2004

Eder was one of those hippies — ubiquitous on Spanish streets—who wore hemp and had tangled dreads and played the djembe on street corners for a living. We sang Bob Marley as we passed cheap boxed-wine in the traditional Spanish botellón style. Once a tiny crowd of like-minded young people gathered, we moved down to the dock, looking out to the fabled lights of Ibiza in the distance, where surely electronic music pumped and swirled and fabulous people danced under neon lights.

We were all grunge and dirt and dreads and drums, though, and Eder laughed as I kept pulling out my journal to jot down random details I wanted to remember: the way the lights looked in the distance, the way the white djembe leather stood out against Eder’s dark hands, the way the soft hash felt as it crumbled between my fingertips.

It was one of the first times in my life I’d taken the time to notice these small, almost imperceptible niceties, and Eder is the reason it’s a habit I’ve kept up. At some point in the evening before I returned to my hostel he grabbed my journal and wrote: Keep making your small discoveries in this world. Nothing is real, but nothing is illusion. Remember your small truths are your beauty.

7. “Open”

Beijing, China — 2006

Open, as he called himself in English, looked like the geeky Asian brother of Harry Potter and moved with the grace of a gangly baby giraffe. He was smarter than even most other computer programmers, and had the gentle demeanor of someone who wants something but was too scared to reach out and grab it — but he wasn’t what you’d call a nerd.

He shattered every expectation you’d have upon meeting him. Spending just a few hours with Open and his group made me feel, for the first time, closer to complete strangers than to my friends back home. After a few days, my feelings were solidified: I had learned how to feel equally content with the ever-changing strangeness of new places and new things as I was with the tried and true experiences of home. Even if you can’t always understand another person’s language, there are underlying things connecting us all that defy conventional communication.

8. Marietta

Quito, Ecuador — 2010

Marietta was one of those women by whom you’re immediately intimidated—too hip, too beautiful, too cool, too calm. I met her at a communal breakfast on the roof of our hostel in Quito.

I had big plans that day to visit the Museo Nacional del Banco Central, which houses one of the most renowned collections of pre-Incan and Incan art in the world. Something about Marietta made me doubt this, and feel an inclination to wander in and out of the city’s hippest markets and bars instead. At the last minute, I decided to stick with my original plan. Much to my surprise, Marietta said she’d like to join. Between oohing and ahhing at the impossibly gold masks and ceremonial trinkets, Marietta stopped to read every placard on the display cases.

It’s never uncool to be smart. You’re never too hip to be a nerd.

9. Denis

Berlin, Germany — 2005

Denis was a transplanted Russian artist who worked in a loft in the Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin, the hipster, graffitied, bombed-out-warehouses-turned-nightclubs district. He was the first painter I’d met who made a living doing so. One evening we were out in Neukölln and I was fretting over whether or not to buy the fancy cocktail I really wanted, or to stick with a cheap beer that I didn’t. Denis wasn’t rich. He didn’t have a trust fund, and though he was making it as an artist it’s not like investors or collectors were banging down his studio door.

Regardless, while I sat still debating, Denis excused himself to the bathroom and returned with my coveted, far-too-pricey cocktail. “Don’t forget, my dear,” he told me. “In ten years you won’t remember the money. You’ll remember the experience.”