As this is my last post for my Digital Storytelling class for this blog, I wanted to end with one of my favorite (and possibly most traumatizing) travel stories.
This is the story of the Naked Seattle Man.
My last night in Seattle, where I was interning for the 2018 summer for the Union Gospel Mission, the other interns and I decided to walk down to Pike’s Market for the last time.
We took pictures together, we ate at our favorite pizza place, and we enjoyed the fresh air of the Puget Sound for the last time.
Instead of taking an Uber back to the house, we decided to walk back to our house and take in the city.
Matt, who was my boyfriend at the time, and I started to trail behind the rest of the group as we reflected on the summer and the fun times we had.
We were walking up a long flight of wide stairs that led up through a large clearing between buildings, when all of a sudden, Matt’s eyes grew wide.
“Do NOT look to your right,” he says very sternly, sounding alarmed.
I’m very confused. Is it a drug deal? Is someone getting murdered? Does someone have a gun to my head?
So of course I do what ANY logical girlfriend would do in this situation, and I looked to the right.
And what I saw stole my sweet, Iowan innocence away from me forever.
Naked Seattle Man.
He was completely naked, except for the running shoes on his feet. He was walking, bouncing with every step down the stairs that we were walking up. He had earbuds in his ears, and was holding an iPod Nano. He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that all of his body parts were flapping around for all of Seattle to see.
I wish I could say that I handled the situation with maturity and grace, however, I was so shocked I turned to Matt and could only exclaim, “WHAT?”
He responded, “I TOLD you not to look,” but I could not stop freaking out that I just saw this random man’s weiner.
Mid-panic from me, a man yells down from his balcony, “So what? He’s naked. Get over it,” which only made me question whether this event was an isolated occasion, or a regular tradition.
Either way, what Naked Seattle Man was up to that night will haunt me forever. My list of questions is endless. What IS his story? Was he sleep walking? Under the influence of some kind of drug? A frat boy being hazed? A pervert of some sort? Was he caught? What are even the legal punishments of walking around Seattle buck naked carrying an iPod Nano?
I guess I’ll probably never find the answers to my questions, but if you ever journey to the Seattle area, beware of the Naked Seattle Man, you never know where he could be lurking next.
During my freshman year of college, I traveled with AWOL, a service-learning organization, to Guatemala, where we constructed a house for a family in need.
Every year, my family participates in one of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions: Black Friday shopping.
We scour over the ads, we’re each assigned to grab a specific item, and we get ready to throw some elbows at people we graduated with for a $3 DVD. All night, we pile in and out of the minivan at each store, conquering every Sioux City strip mall that lies in our path.
It’s something I look forward to every year.
However, this weekend, I stopped and thought about how lucky of a life I live.
While it’s not wrong to want to go out on Black Friday, nab some good deals, and spend time with family, I can’t help but feel guilty when I think of those who can’t enjoy such a privilege.
Obviously those living in other countries outside of the United States don’t celebrate Thanksgiving or Black Friday, but I wonder what they would think of our animal-like behavior and American consumerism this weekend.
When I have these thoughts, my mind drifts to the people I met in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala.
When I was a freshman in college, I traveled to Guatemala with AWOL, an organization at USD that sponsors service trips over the winter and spring breaks.
Our mission was to build a house for a family in need, through an organization called Casas Por Cristo. This organization, which was based out of San Raymundo, selects families that need homes, finds a team (like ours) to build it with them, and then connects them with a pastor from a local church.
The family we were partnered with consisted of a mom and a dad, three children, and aunt and an uncle who also had their own three kids.
Before we built them their new house, all ten of them lived in a small hut that was smaller than a North Complex dorm room, and their bathroom simply had a plastic tarp around it. Their house had no floor, and when it was raining (as it often is in Guatemala) the mud would seep in and they simply wouldn’t sleep. They struggled to have enough food for everyone in their family, even though both fathers worked in the city from sunrise to sunset.
Yet they were happy. It seems unimaginable to us as spoiled Americans to think about such living conditions and still being joyful and thankful.
However, they don’t find their value in material things; they find it in spending time with their family, being in nature, and the simple joys of life. Would we prefer this simple lifestyle, free of fancy dinners, riots at Target, and iPhone 11’s? After all, gratefulness isn’t something you experience just when you have nice things; it’s global.
So while celebrating the holiday season wearing a nice outfit, eating a hearty meal, and going shopping isn’t inherently wrong, take a moment this year and pause to recognize your own privilege and blessings.
I have traveled countless times on group trips, and there is ALWAYS that one person. They aren’t happy, they’re not having a good time, and you can tell they would rather be at home (although on their social media, they’re having an “life-changing experience.”) It makes the rest of the group cringe, and everyone thanks their lucky stars that they’re not THAT Debbie Downer. Because it can sometimes be easy to get stressed out while traveling and self-sabotage your own experience, I have compiled a list of my top six travel tips that I’ve learned from myself and from watching others. Keep on scrolling.
Tip #1: Say yes.
Say yes to experiences. Unless that experience is going to get you into trouble or put you in an unsafe position, then why not? You didn’t travel to a new location just so you can sit in your hotel room on your phone or get plenty of sleep. Get the most out of your trip by doing the most you can. Cram in early morning acitivites, have a full itinerary for the day, and check out what there is to do at night. It’s important to take care of yourself so you don’t get sick, but you can sleep in the car or the plane! Be present in the moment and place that you’re in, make the most of it, and DON’T BE LAME.
A cloudy morning in Wellington, New Zealand. Although my friends and I had a flight at 9 a.m., we woke up early to be able to see the sunrise. Even though the morning was cloudy, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and were glad we said ‘yes’ to the experience.
Tip #2: Don’t waste your time on things you can do at home.
If you’re going to travel to a whole new location, whether it be across the state or on the other side of the globe, why the heck would you want to do what you can do at home? I swear, nothing gets under my skin more than people on trips who want to eat at the same chain fast food restaurants, blackout every night, and basically do exactly what they do at home. While that might be a for-sure method of making sure you’re having a good time, you need to step out of your comfort zone a little. If you want to make the most out of your experience, you need to try new things, eat new foods, and avoid things that you can do in your hometown.
Not only does refusing to try new things inhibit your ability to understand the culture of a new place and make yourself a more well-rounded person, it’s also a huge waste of money. If I’m traveling to Europe, for example, imagine how much money I would waste buying a beer every single night (a brand of beer you could buy in the States, no doubt) and eating at the Burger King (yes, I’ve been with people who do this). Instead, I could have used that money to have an actual physical experience, try a native dish, or save up for another trip. The same goes for social media. You did not journey to a new place just so you can watch your friends’ lame snap stories from home or scroll through Twitter. Like I said in Tip #1, go out and fully immerse yourself in your experience.
While on a road trip to Zion National Park this summer, my friend and I packed all of our food from home into a cooler. Since we didn’t spend any money on food throughout our 9-day excursion, we were able to afford to go canyoneering in Utah. If we would have wasted our money on fast food (something we could do at home), we wouldn’t have been able to afford to have these extra experiences.
Tip #3: Don’t be a grumpy pants.
This may be my most important tip of all: do not, under any circumstances, be a grumpy pants. The biggest lesson I have learned from traveling is that you have to roll with the punches. Not everything is going to go your way: your friends might be mean to you, you might miss a flight, or an activity you were dying to do is closed that day. It doesn’t matter. Getting angry or putting yourself in a bad mood ruins even more of your trip than the original mishap did, and if you’re pouting, you’re ruining the trip for the rest of your group as well. Chances are, whatever went wrong is out of your control, so what is the point of freaking out about it? Also, the whole point of going on a trip is to have fun, right? So stop moping, put on a smile, and make the most out of whatever is thrown at you.
Another way to be a grumpy pants? Acting like you are too cool for everything. Don’t be that person who makes fun of others for taking pictures, rolls their eyes when someone is excited about seeing something, and is calling everyone “tourists.” (Like, hey, you’re a tourist too, and everyone can tell, so you might as well embrace it). People like this are clearly having no fun with their own lives, so if you do happen to find yourself on a trip with a grumpy pants, do your best to ignore them and don’t let their toxicity rub off on you. You traveled there for a reason, so live it up!
On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I found myself with the stomach-flu for more than half of the trip and with people who didn’t necessarily enjoy doing the same things as me. Instead of becoming a grumpy pants, I took matters into my own hands and walked around the city by myself, taking in the sights and making sure I still had an enjoyable experience.
Tip #4: Look confident and cute.
Another way to distract you from living it up when you’re abroad? Feeling insecure about how you look. While you don’t need to look like you’re off the runway every single day, especially if you’re doing outdoor activities, it helps to feel confident in your appearance. Find a few cute, comfortable (this is key) outfits with travel essentials that can mix and match and keep you feeling fresh throughout your trip. After all, you only regret the pictures that you didn’t take, and outfit-planning before your trip can ensure that you won’t miss a photo-op because you’re feeling insecure.
My travel buddy Krista and I (if you’re reading this Krista, hello) have traveled to 3 countries together, and we’re planning on 3 more this summer. When we go somewhere, we try to feel comfortable and confident in what we’re wearing each day, so we can focus on the fun and not fly-away hairs.
Tip #5: Don’t waste money on souvenirs.
One of my favorite sayings is, “Collect moments, not things,” and I definitely recomend following its guidance when traveling. When I was younger, I would love to waste my money on silly, tacky souvenirs that could honestly be purchased on Amazon from home. Now, I try to focus on spending my money on a few, meaningful souvenirs (I like knick-knacks and coffee mugs) that are unique and remind me of my experience. If you save money because you didn’t buy 17 t-shirts from every attraction, you’ll be able to afford a different physical experience and memory, which you’ll never grow out of or lose. In addition, I promise that you don’t need to get your third cousin twice removed a $20 souvenir from a place they didn’t even go. Maybe just stick to a simple postcard; I’m sure they will understand, and your bank account will thank you for it.
A staple souvenir I try to pick up when I travel is a postcard. They’re cheap, easy to find, and they are fun to display. This is my bulletin board in my room, which is decorated with postcards and photos I’ve collected. Photos themselves are another form of souvenir, and in the long run, they’ll mean more to you than a Mount Rushmore throw pillow.
Tip #6: Don’t overplan.
When you’re on a trip, it is incredibly important to keep an open mind and go with the flow. If you have every single minute of your vacation planned before you even step on the plane, you’re bound to be disapointed and miss out on activites you didn’t know existed. In addition, unless you are by yourself, your travel friends aren’t necessarily going to want to do every single thing you want to do. Save yourself from the drama and allow yourself to be flexible. Not overplanning helps prevent the grumpy-pants-syndrome, as discussed in Tip #3.
With that being said, you don’t want to underplan. Underplanning a trip can lead to hours wasted by walking around in confusion or debating what to go see. My advice, and what I do when on a group trip, is to each pick one or two things you absolutely MUST do when you’re there. Put everyone’s “must-do’s” on the schedule at some point, but leave the rest of the time open to activities you find along the way. Once you get to a place, you’ll find that locals have places to recomend to you, and you may stumble upon something you had no idea existed. If you have a minute-to-minute planned schedule, you don’t allow for flexibility to enjoy these hidden gems.
When I traveled to Stockholm this summer in a group for a faculty-led program, we planned a few “must-do’s” for every day, but otherwise went with the flow. This led us unexpected experiences such as ferry rides, dessert shops, and even a royal palace. This photo is of a place my friends and I discovered as we exited a subway tunnel. Since we didn’t overplan, we allowed ourselves to sit down by the water, talk, and take in this view .
Now that you’ve read my top six travel tips, GET OUT THERE AND SEE THE WORLD! So much is waiting out there for you, and it’s up to you to take the leap and explore it.
A group of Serve Seattle interns and I in front of a Union Gospel Mission van. We used the van to bring a portable shower truck to homeless encampments and communities in the Seattle area.
I brought only a backpack and my suitcase (not even a pillow and blanket, that could be purchased at Goodwill when we got there), and I road tripped 34 hours across the country with my boyfriend at the time, who also was participating in the internship program.
When I got to Seattle, I was greeted by 20 other interns, who would soon become some of my closest friends, from all around the country. We all lived in a giant mansion in the middle of the city.
And when I say mansion, it was a MANSION mansion; it made my sorority house look like a doll house. The Serve Seattle mansion was formerly a monastery and was bought from the group of monks by the UGM. There was a full-functioning church, offices, several living rooms, a record studio, several kitchens, and a gym all inside the house.
The Serve Seattle house on Capitol Hill, where all 21 interns and Serve Seattle staff, lived for the summer.
Together, all 21 of us would travel around Seattle in vans, handing out supplies and helping those on the streets find shelter and hooking them up with resources. We also each were assigned personal internships; mine was at the shoe distribution program for the UGM.
One element of my summer with Serve Seattle will forever stick with me, however.
Halfway through the program, we participated in an annual learning experience that UGM had dubbed “The Urban Plunge.”
In this Urban Plunge, the interns would have the opportunity to experience homelessness for a day, so we could better understand the people we were working with and serving.
We all were woken from our beds at 5 a.m. and shoved out of the house. We were without our phones, money, maps, our Metro passes, and food. All we were allowed to bring with us were our journals and pens, and we weren’t allowed to return to the Serve Seattle house until 10 p.m. that night (a full 17 hours without food or shelter).
We were split up into groups of four, with a boy in every group except for mine.
When my group left the house in the morning, we didn’t know where to go, so we walked around the perimeter of the city, which took us until noon. By that time, we started to get hungry, so we trekked to Pike’s Market for free cherry samples from the fruit stands. After that, we laid under the Space Needle. Without our phones or watches, however, it was hard to tell how long we had been in a particular place.
For the day, we had also been given a list of tasks that we needed to complete, things that a real person suffering from homelessness would struggle to accomplish on a day-to-day basis. These things included finding a place to sleep that would accommodate women, a place to do laundry, and a place to theoretically charge our phones.
In the afternoon, we attempted to accomplish these tasks, although we failed at most of them. We managed to find a place to charge our phones at the public library, but we didn’t find a place where we could sleep or clean ourselves up.
We returned to the house at 10 p.m. and devoured a large plate of chocolate chip cookies that our leaders had prepared for us.
However, even though the day of the Urban Plunge was over, the lessons we would take from it had just begun.
The Urban Plunge woke me up to my own privilege. Our Urban Plunge was rough – we didn’t eat, we didn’t have a place to rest, and our feet hurt from walking – but we only did this for 24 hours. There are people in the world who do this every single day, some since they were a child.
And even though our day was a struggle, because of what we looked like, we still experienced privilege. A person who was really struggling from homelessness would not have been given free cherry samples, would not have been allowed to nap under the Space Needle, and would have to constantly face the stares of passerbys.
Even as I returned home from Seattle to my comfy home in Vermillion, I noticed a huge attitude inside myself. The plunge I took in the summer of 2018 taught me to be okay with where I’m at in my life, and taught me how to see others’ struggles from a different perspective.
The sunrise at Tela Beach on the Atlantic Ocean in Honduras.
The idea of traveling the globe has always intrigued me. I’ve had the opportunity to explore 33 states and 10 countries, and I capture it all in my own quirky way: through my Chacos.
I first encountered the idea of what I call a “Chaco picture,” when I visited Washington, D.C. before my senior year of high school for a history competition. I had just bought my first pair of Chacos, and I was using this trip to break them in.
My mom and I had chosen to ride a charter bus with another high school to our nation’s capital, and while on a stop at Gettysburg, another girl on the trip (also sporting a pair of Chacs) told me to lay on the ground, with my feet in the air, and snap a picture with my feet in front of the landscape.
Confused, but always a people-pleasing Taurus wanting to fit in (tell me to jump off a cliff, and I will), I did what she said. I was hooked.
Since that trip, I’ve had the opportunity to see more of the world, capturing it all through photos of my feet. But besides pictures of my Jesus sandals enhancing (or blocking, as some would say) the scenery, I also collect stories.
One of my most recent Chaco pictures, taken in Stockholm, Sweden in May.
Stories through people I’ve encountered. Stories through places I’ve seen. Stories through experiences that have caused me to learn more about myself and the people around me. All of these stories I carry around, but unlike my Chaco pictures, which are arranged on my Chacos’ Instagram page, I have nowhere to share them.
That will be the purpose of this blog: to share stories.
My first story I want to share is a quick one, but it reminds me why I continue to get on 10-hour plane rides to do what I love most.
It was Honduras in 2017. I had been on a missions trip with my church for the previous 10 days painting buildings, ministering to communities, and running crafts for a Vacation Bible School in a language that I didn’t speak. Our entire group was exhausted, but as an excursion before we flew back to the United States, we had rented a beach house on the coast of the Atlantic to spend our last day soaking up the sun.
On brand with how I live the rest of my life, my group of friends and I stayed up until 4 a.m. the night before, and we had an idea: let’s run to the beach and watch the sunrise before we leave. You only live once, and you can always sleep on the plane.
We set our alarms for 30 minutes (more of a nap rather than a good night’s sleep), and prepared to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to dash down to the beach.
However, we made a potentially disastrous error.We had forgotten to take into account that the time of the sunrise that the Apple weather app tells you is the time the sun is COMPLETELY up, so by the time we opened our eyes only 30 minutes later, the darkness was already starting to fade.
We grabbed our shoes, threw our hair up into messy buns, and sprinted the 10 minutes down to the beach.
What we found was spectacular. Standing on the sand, with my friends around me, watching the sky being painted the brightest shades of pink and purple, was the perfect reminder to never say no to an adventure. It also started one of my favorite travel traditions: to always watch the sunrise the morning I leave a place.
Being in one location for too long can cause me to be a little stir-crazy (my apologies to my roommates I am constantly sending flight prices to). Luckily, I can keep myself busy planning my 2020 adventures (see you soon Mexico, Paris and London), but in the meantime, thanks for allowing me to “unpack my baggage.” Check back next week for another travel tale from yours truly.
A map of the countries I’ve visited (the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ireland, the U.K., Guatemala, New Zealand, Sweden, and Iceland). In 2020, I’ll be adding Mexico and France.A map of the U.S. states I’ve visited. When I was 12, I had only been to 5 states, but in the past 8 years, I have added 28 to my roster.
Unpacking My Baggage: Stories from My Travels 