As regular readers of my blog are no doubt aware, I’ve traveled to some of the most exotic destinations on earth. From volunteering in Ghana, to teaching in Taiwan, to an overland safari covering half of Africa. I’ve lived in Egypt and Iraq, been to…
A friend of mine recently went through a divorce. It seems like the same saga we hear about with disturbing consistency: disagreements over assets; knock-down, drag-out custody battles; endless paperwork and attorneys’ fees; an inability to compromise; and, loads of frustration. It seems as if…
One of the best narratives I’ve come across lately, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is a must-read for adventure seekers and dreamers alike. Chronicling the 1996 Mount Everest disaster in which a record number of people died, Krakauer combines his personal perspective as a…
As the winter holidays are nearing, my mind keeps wandering from the matters at hand. While in the midst of my daily routine of work, classes, and study, I can’t help but think ahead to next month. December will bring the end of term and…
Lately, I've been noticing a behavioral trend that I find bothersome. There seems to be a growing lack of respect in how people treat their, and other people's, things. Of course, I've noticed it most in the people around me, often in reference to their…
It’s that time of year when the leaves are changing colors, the air has taken on a crisp tinge, and the gentle change from summer to fall is nearly complete. Or so I hear. Living in Minnesota, our five minutes of fall happened about three…
Yesterday was the annual international observance of World Food Day. Started in 1981 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Day was initiated to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization on October 16th, 1945. The purpose of…
Housed within the Department of Educational Leadership at Minnesota State University, Mankato, one can find the Adventure Education Program. That’s a really long way of saying my university has a ropes course. To many people, ropes courses (alternatively called challenge courses) are meant only to…
After exploring the bigger and better known bodies of water in this region (some better known than others), it is fair to say that one of my favorites is a small, relatively unknown lake about fifteen minutes away. Near well-known Madison Lake (a lake and…
Driving I-90 through the Midwest will bring you through Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A year ago, I was grateful to see the city as it meant a hotel room and a break in the monotony of the long drive from Spokane. This year, I had…
The Renaissance Festival has always carried a bit of a stigma. I’ve heard commentary that suggests only ‘kooky’ people attend the annual festival, or that people who go are a bit ‘off’. After all, the fair consists of a large group of people who like…
Minnesota is the land of ten thousand lakes. I always thought the state motto was an exaggeration, but the state truly does boast a full count of over ten thousand lakes. In a region with so many bodies of water, I wanted to know what…
To stretch our legs, we walked the portage trail that bypassed the falls, thankful that we didn't have to carry anything along the narrow track. Our portage trails had been wide and unobstructed while this one was just wide enough for one person at a…
The storm never came, and my friend and I took the canoe out for a paddle. We were on a mission to get fresh water, which we were told could be found closer to the middle of the lake. Hmm. Maybe it was potable, but…
Not knowing much about the vast expanse of the Boundary Waters, my friend and I were at a loss when trying to pinpoint where exactly we wanted to go. Looking for a relaxing weekend of canoeing, camping and perhaps some fishing, our requirements didn't narrow…
Casting around for things to do in the Midwest, I stumbled upon the famed Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Having heard about this pristine paradise before, I wanted to learn more. Though the previous mentions of the area had only been in passing, I was…
After a year of living in Mankato, Minnesota, I've finally found a reliable source of fresh fruit and vegetables. Last fall, asking around town for an organic food source, I was directed to a co-op in the next town over. It's a great option, but…
1. Decide how you want your pet to travel- cargo or in-cabin. Going cargo will allow you to travel on a larger number of airlines, but if you're going to spend the entire flight wondering if your baby is well cared for, it might not…
I'm a warm water diver, no doubts about it. As my dad (the hard-core, dive-in-any-temperature instructor) puts it, I'm a 'fair weather diver'. Or, as he prefers, 'pansy'. Fair enough. Cold water diving has never appealed to me, dry suits are the invention of insanity,…
After a wonderful weekend diving Sharm el Sheikh and a few days visiting friends in my old stomping grounds of Cairo, it was time to head out to Hurgada, a city on the Eastern coast of mainland Egypt. In all of my years living and…
An amazing thing happened to me while in between dive trips in Cairo. I got into a cab and watched the cabbie start a working meter. An actual meter! I'd never have thought it possible, and was rather pleasantly surprised to have this new experience.…
Immediately following on the heels of my nightmarish experience in Dubai, I was rewarded with an amazing dive trip to the Red Sea. After sleeping off my exhaustion, I woke up and piled into the car for the seven hour drive to Sharm el Sheikh.…
Once again I have managed to incur the wrath of the travel gods. I don't know exactly what I have done to awaken their animosity, but as of late they have been throwing everything they've got at me. And then some.Upon arrival in Iraq, I…
Apologies for the delay in posting. As mentioned previously, the internet is not always reliable over here, and when it goes down, it likes to stay down. Add to that I've been traveling, and I've wound up with an e-mail inbox crammed to bursting and…
As you may know, I am here in Kurdistan tutoring my friend's children. On Saturday, one of the other girls in my students' class was killed.She was playing in her front yard and, from what I understand, ran out into the road just as a…
Through The Eco-Traveler blog, Andrea Shearer shares her experiences of international adventure travel, volunteering and SCUBA diving with a commitment to protecting our environment. In the next few months, Andrea will bring her blog closer to home while exploring the natural environment and adventure activities the Midwest has to offer, and will go international again with a volunteer expedition to Nicaragua over the winter holidays. You can reach her at askandrea@ymail.com.
