Scribble World Travel Blog

Time Capsules

Sometimes, senior citizens have some of the most unusual insight. A social work class I took up in Moorhead, MN once led me to volunteer at a nursing home to spend time with an 82 year old woman named Lydia. Her words are sort of like a time capsule to me-I didn’t quite understand the significance then, but I knew what she said was worth remembering and it makes more sense to me now.

Lydia had such an awesome awareness of the “small” details in life-she talked about the taste of the food she’d had for breakfast, the birds she heard outside her window, and I learned that she was still, at 82, self conscious about her appearances. But what probably surprised me most is when she talked about the pattern of the carpet– explaining she didn’t like it at first, but it grew on her with time and now, she couldn’t imagine it being anything else.

Year’s later, I think back on that carpet Lydia spent hours looking at and, for me, it’s a reminder to slow down and try to really see something as it is that very moment- the little details in life (something that is not easy to do, especially for multitaskers).

The pursuit of little details and the feeling that there is more to life then working, paying bills and being busy all the time is part of what prompted me to go travel….I knew there had to be a great deal more to experience in the greater world, if I would only take the time to notice.

Our travels around the U.S. are like more time capsules awaiting the depth of meaning to be extracted. So often we felt rushed or driven by bodily needs-the quest to satisfy hunger, find somewhere to take a shower, or a place to sleep. And all I really wanted to do is slow down and get to know a place-notice the finer details of the moment. Occassionally, I succeeded.

One delightful accident, that happened to us while traveling, occurred after we took a wrong turn and found ourselves entering a toll road. Fighting the panic of knowing I was nearly out of cash, we scrounged up every last cent we could find to cover the toll. It was just enough. We were led to the small island of Key Biscayne in Florida.

Amazingly, we were able to spend the night in our van in the library parking lot, without the local law enforcement forcing us to leave. The next morning, Chris went inside to use the wireless internet connection while I waited outside to see if I’d notice anything interesting. I found myself watching the activities of the goofy looking birds, who became more animated and brave the longer I sat still, hopping and dancing about my feet.

The longer I observed, the more I kept becoming aware of-noticing other details such as a turtle, then turtles swimming in a nearby pond. The turtles were eating away at something. I struggled to figure out what it was, and then spotted an iguana on some nearby rocks so still, it was blending into the scenery. It took me a while, but I started noticing others as well. Had Chris not lost track of time on the internet, we would have missed it all. You can see the pictures we took at Iguanas at Key Biscayne.

I love that it was an accident, but led to some interesting surprises.

7 Great Reasons to Travel

Here are 7 Great Reasons to Travel (in case someone you know needs a little convincing)

1) The thrill of the unknown-seeing a mountain for the first time, or seeing how the other half lives

2) The inner discoveries-that you do not have to feel lonely just because you are by yourself.

3) To rejoice in the little things-the spiders on the wall, the smell of ocean air, the absence of city lights.

4) To learn how to be less judging-the homeless man does not lead an easy life

5) To have A Strong mind and the strength to keep it open

6) To learn from others

7) To make a part of yourself available for posterity

Where in the World Have I Been?

I thought it would be fun to create a map of the States in America I have visited, so I did.

visited 29 states (58%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or try another Douwe Osinga project

I also created a map of the countries I have visited…

visited 4 states (1.77%)
Create your own visited map of The World or try another Douwe Osinga project

10 Ways to Get a Shower On The Road

Hello travelers, people living out of a vehicle and other awesome folks, here are 10 Ways to Get a good Shower On The Road.

1. At a campground. Campground showers vary from one place to the next. Some are hot, some solar powered so they’re only hot at certain times, and some are unheated altogether. Some have consistent water pressure while others will only get a weak stream when someone hops in the shower next to you. Some are private with your own changing room and a real door while others are separated from the others by a curtain or in rare instances, nothing at all. Some are well kept and impeccably clean while others you get to share with a few hopefully harmless spiders, mosquitos and other mystery guests.
2. At a community pool. You may have to pay a few bucks to use the pool, but the showers are free. And hey, why not go swimming while you’re at it? They usually only accept cash and are often only open certain hours and days.
3. Get a 5 gallon solar shower. This is cheap, usually less than $20 for a simple one, and can be useful when you’re in the middle of nowhere. If you leave it in the sun for a couple hours you’ll have a nice warm shower. If there isn’t enough sun to make it hot, you can add a cup of boiled water and that will at least make it warm. If privacy is an issue, for a little more (around $70) you can get the Texsport Deluxe Camp Shower/Shelter Combo. It works well for car camping.
4. The Solo 465 Stainless Steel Sprayer can be used as a medium pressure camp shower. Several people have commented that they place it on a stove top burner and heat it up, then pressurize it and it’s shower time. My Dad tried this by pouring hot water into a 2 gallon plastic sprayer tank that he had and it made a great shower. It uses about 40 ounces per minute so that is a 6 minute shower using only two gallons. Also,if you lather up with Dawn Direct Foam soap instead of bar soap, when it’s empty, you could refill it with your own scented soap and distilled water. The foaming soap lather would not be affected by local hard water supplies. And it also works great for dishes! 
5. Get a day pass to a local fitness club. They’re usually just $5 or $10 for unlimited hot showers, plus you can get a good workout while you’re at it.
6. Stop at a road house or large gas station such as Flying J, TA or Pilot, and other road trip stops with amenities for travelers and truckers alike. These tend to be some of the nicest showers you can get on the road as you get your own private bathroom and lots of available hot water, plus your own sink and toilet. They usually provide towels and bar soap though you’re welcome to bring your own supplies. Usually costing between $5 and $10, if you’re with your significant other, they’re usually happy to let you pay the one fee and share the room. If you’re a little hard up for cash, you can also try asking a trucker if he or she by chance has an extra shower coupon. Truckers oftentimes receive a coupon for a free shower when they fill up on gas and oftentimes have an extra they just might part with if you ask nice enough.
7. Visit a friend, relative or make a new acquaintance and ask to use their shower…sure, you might get a funny look, but what are friends for?
8. Try the “It Makes Sense Shower head.” You still need a water supply, but this will help you conserve water. You can get a hot shower using very little water which is helpful when you’re on the road. It has a chain to pull to adjust the flow of the water from a full spray to a trickle while you lather. It’s an interesting variation of a navy shower.
9. The Zodi Hot Tap Single Burner Travel Shower runs off propane and 4 D batteries, so you can get a hot shower any time of day at the push of a button. It holds 4 gallons of water which is good for a 10 minute shower. Costs about $130
10. Some hotels with swimming pools will let non-guests use it for a small fee, and have public showers in that viscinity as well.

Want one more? The Carwash! Please laugh responsibly:  Shower on the Road

Club Congress New Year’s Eve photos

We celebrated the coming of 2009 and had a wonderful New Year’s Eve at Club Congress in downtown Tucson, AZ to partake in six hours of non-stop Circus Congress amusements. The night went surprisingly fast as we were entertained by magicians, bands and a couple acrobats.  The carnival-like atmosphere was fun and even included some fresh made cotton candy to help wash the drinks down

Club Congress was packed and sold out. It was interesting to see how people dressed-some were in jeans and t-shirts while others went all out and dawned the sparkly dresses and tiara style new year’s head gear and other interesting costume twists. 

One area that could have used a little more attention was the bathroom situation. No big surprise here, but the line to the Ladies Room was out the door-and two women almost got in a fight when one budged.  Both sides were very indignant to say the least.

The Men’s Room, on the other hand…this is where life can be so unfair sometimes….4 minutes before midnight, Chris says he has to go to the bathroom….and no he can’t wait 5 more minutes but, “don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”  It was like a magic act-somehow he managed to maneuver his way in through the crowd of people pushing their way out, use the bathroom, and again squeeze through about a bazillion people to get back to me at exactly midnight for that New Year’s kiss.  It was impressive.

Now. when I have to go, it’s at least a 20 minute affair and arriving at the destination is no picnic either- one of the stalls is overflowing, and by the end of the night the others have run out of toilet paper-and no one seems too concerned about restocking them– So, here’s a New Year’s Eve tip to the ladies:

Bring a little emergency T.P ”just in case,” and look forward to making some new friends in line—it’ll be a loooong wait Happy New Year everyone!