Wanderings with Dan Catena
Southeast Asia. It's a pretty nifty part of our planet that deserves at least one visit in our lifetime. The nearest Southeast Asian airport from my house is in Manila, Philippines and it's roughly fourteen hours away by plane. Due to its not-so-close distance from here, appropriate planning is necessary before embarking on vacation there.... Continue Reading →
Before and during Jack’s and my journey through Asia, we’d been doing our best to cajole friends to come and join us. For a couple months we dangled the offer of delicious food, affordably priced experiences, and a hangout session with two well-rounded guys. It took some time but eventually two friends, Becca and Stella,... Continue Reading →
Today is Sunday, at least in Jack’s and my part of the world. At this hour, our friends and families in California are most likely getting ready for bed. However, in Bangkok, Thailand the sun is shining and shortly it’ll be lunchtime. It’s hard to imagine that our trip to Asia started exactly a week... Continue Reading →
Travel... It could take the form of diving face first into an ocean of a far off place, or even plunging into the next paragraph of a really interesting book. Whichever way and whatever the medium, traveling gives us all something: a sensation of freedom, creativity, curiosity, and ultimately enjoyment. It’s a joy of life... Continue Reading →
Author's note: This might have happened sometime a handful of years ago. Shades of violet began to spill upward into the sky. Rowed fields with the occasional farmhouse emerging out of nowhere became visible. On this ALSA passenger bus it was too early in the morning to hold a conversation with strangers, but... Continue Reading →
Hey, how’s it going? Did you get a haircut? We’ve met a few times but unless you’re regular of MuyBici stations, El Palmar, Esparragal, or various plazas that serve cheap coffee, you probably don’t remember me. I normally don’t write letters to cities, but today I’m in the mood to get some things... Continue Reading →
Do I smell popcorn? The muscles in my eyelids sputter a few flickers as my I search with my nostrils for the aroma of the lightly buttered snack that brings me back to those times when I would spend money at cinemas. The cracks and pops are making the emptiness beneath my winkled abdomen sing... Continue Reading →
A handful of posts ago I shared some insider information in regards to finding a decent a cup of coffee in Sausalito, California plus Missoula, Montana. Both posts came with years of coffee-drinking and, more importantly, cafe-questing experience. It’s time to continue this series of posts with a city in southern Spain. Murcia, Spain has... Continue Reading →
Author’s note: No phone applications were permanently harmed during the writing of this post, and everything you are about to read definitely maybe happened. Sitting in Santo Domingo Plaza, under the protection of a dark tinted cafe tent, I was scrolling through the touchscreen of my smart phone when suddenly a crazy notion pinched me... Continue Reading →
One morning at IES Marques de los Velez, in El Palmar, Spain... As the door to the classroom opened, and a flow of sleepy students seeped through the entryway, I tried my best to give each person a smiling “good morning.” It was 8:25am and English class was this group of twenty-something teenager’s first class... Continue Reading →
At 10am in Torrevieja the sun was already hindering my eyesight and all of the layers I was wearing began to feel highly unnecessary. If the bus that I'd been waiting before decided to be delayed by a few minutes. I would have considered shedding my winter jacket and throw it in the garbage. I... Continue Reading →
A couple Saturday’s ago started like any other. A blaring alarm sent my eyes sputtering open, a handful of extra minutes were lost while I lingered in bed, and a pot of water started to boil in anticipation for my habitual coffee. On most mornings there isn't a sense of urgency, however this particular Saturday... Continue Reading →
After only a few minutes in the air, I felt like my life was in danger. The flight started normally – the door closed, the flight attendants and pilot greeted passengers on the loudspeakers, and we gained altitude. Moments later we hit turbulence. For a few seconds the plane rattled and shook. Ok, nothing to…
Do you feel anxious before boarding an airplane? I used to be horrified of flying until I started using these easy strategies to overcome my own fears.
There Dan Was 