After wading through a river with a rope as a handhold and swimming into a dark cave, I never would have expected the spiritually sobering experience that I had within the ATM Caves. Crawling past the remains of human desperation and suffering that happened so long ago their bones are covered with limestone is an…
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Indonesian Grammar: A Traveler’s Guide
So, you’re looking to go to Indonesia? Well, if you’re headed there, you’ll need to know some of the language. Bahasa Indonesian is actually a dialect of Malay, the language spoken in various nearby countries, but it’s important to know it nonetheless. There are a lot of subdialects of Indonesian too, which I’ll get into…
Camping: The Adventurer’s Guide
Camping has been a big part of my life for many years. Trips to Yellowstone, Glacier, Bryce Canyon, and Zion have made important memories for me. I’ve made even more great memories camping in local areas, and even camping while headed to other destinations. Camping, if approached properly, can be a great experience for anyone….
The Story Behind the Statues in Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is a beautiful town. The lake and mountains create idyllic scenes as you drive around the shore, explore downtown, or admire the view from the window of the CDA Resort. But there’s a part that’s not often talked about: the public art and statues in Downtown CDA In the last 20 years,…
How to be Adventurous in Everyday Life
I was going to write this post at least a month ago, then decided to talk about language instead. I want to circle back to this idea though since it covers a lot of my worldview and travel philosophy. The word “adventure” comes up a lot nowadays, especially in the context of entertainment media. But…
Why I Like Language So Much
I talk about language a lot here. It’s part of my name and a big part of my identity on this blog. I’ve talked at length about the mechanics of language in other posts. But why is it that I’m so interested in language? A lot of people (myself included at one point) think of…
Summer Events in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is a popular tourist destination year-round. It’s also my home town. If you’re planning to visit here, you can find plenty to do during any part of the season. There’s Downtown CDA’s Sherman Avenue, Tubbs’ Hill, and the boardwalk, as well as camping, hiking, and plenty of other outdoor activities. I’ll try…
Spanish Grammar: A Traveler’s Guide
Traveling somewhere with Spanish speakers? Well, depending on where you are, it can be difficult to navigate if you don’t speak Spanish. This can cause unnecessary stress when you’re just trying to have fun and explore. Also, knowing basic phrases won’t get you super far if you don’t understand the response or your only option…
Learning a Language: The Most Effective Strategies
How did you learn your first language? You probably learned it through a combination of immersion, trial and error, and people telling you definitions. If you’re here, though, it means you’re trying to learn a second (or third, or fourth…) language. As adults, it does get a bit harder to learn a new language, and…
Language in Belize: What You Should Know
So, you’re traveling to Belize. Maybe you’re going for the Mayan Ruins, the great diving experiences and beaches, or just to have a cool experience. Either way, you’re going to need to interact with other people. In most non-English speaking countries, you will need to learn phrases or words in another language to get around….