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AHA, A CARBON FOOTPRINT
If you’re reading this newsletter, it’s probably because I consider you a dear fellow human. You also may have some interest in travel. With everything that’s going on regarding our environment and climate change, along with the growing number of trips we’re all taking, wouldn’t it be nice to know we can somewhat offset our carbon footprint a little? From Afar, 8 Easy Ways to Lessen Your Impact as a Traveler: “But instead of buying offsets through an offsite website, which she says can be problematic, Kellogg calculates her carbon footprint using a carbon footprint calculator and then pays to have trees planted through a verified service, such as the Arbor Day Foundation’s carbon credit program or the National Forest Foundation’s Carbon Capital Fund. A fully grown tree can absorb a ton of carbon and your spot on a round-trip, cross-country flight generates at least .10 tons of carbon. Because it takes 40 years for many trees to be fully grown, Kellogg plants a few extra for every flight she takes. ‘Typically, it only costs a dollar per tree,’ she says. ‘For $10 you can plant 10 trees and feel a little bit better about making the trip.’” Yes, much better, thank you.
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UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
Ah….Tuscany. Perfection. There. That’s all I got – just “perfection”. I mean seriously just the cover image on this article is enough to see where I’m coming from. I’m really finding it hard to find other words right now. Departures explores Tuscany’s most scenic towns (it’s like getting a bowl of ice cream and having to pick your favorite flavor. Their all good!): “Situated in Val d’Orcia of southern Tuscany, the beautiful valley surroundings of the Pienza countryside are enough to make it worth a stop on your itinerary. But the small town’s appeal certainly doesn’t stop at its idyllic location—it was created by the humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who set out to transform Pienza into the epitome of an ideal Renaissance city. Between the harmonious architecture and the travertine stone used for buildings, you’ll want to spend hours lingering among the town squares and historic monuments. Don’t forget to sample some of the famed Pecorino of Pienza!”
And, while you’re at it, why don’t you explore these 2,000 year old sunken path, “vie cave”, network. Did you know this even existed in Tuscany? You’re in for some more amazing Tuscan pics in this article too.
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ISLAND BREAK
If reading about Tuscany was as overwhelming for you as it was for me (only because it threw off my writing game daydreaming about it), how about we switch gears and focus on another completely amazing distraction: Islands. In this one, a pretty insane waterslide is what you can take to drop into its translucent waters: the Maldives new resort, Soneva Jani.
And, if you like something a little less resort-y, but still island-y, living like a local, but still surrounded by beautiful waters, like Martinique – where there is only one single resort on the island, on purpose.
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AND, BACK TO REALITY
Well, sort of. Not quite NYC, but, NJ, apparently has some really nice hikes worth exploring. I’ll be honest (not that I wasn’t being honest before), I’ve lived in NJ for a few years and it actually has some nice things to offer. From Outside magazine: “Seventy-two miles of the Appalachian Trail wind through the northwest corner of New Jersey, and the comments hikers leave in shelter trail registers tend to express a common emotion: surprise. A lot of people write something like, ‘I didn’t realize New Jersey was this nice,’ says Monica Day, who, with her husband, David, has led the West Jersey Trail Crew since 2000. Sneer at their stomping grounds and you’ll get a lively tongue-lashing from people who spend a lot of time swinging sharp, menacing tools.” I’m telling you, it’s got its little nuggets of beauty too (in addition to Bon Jovi and Danny Devito that is)!
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LOVE IS IN THE AIR
If I told you 1 out of every 50 people said they met the love of their life on a flight, would you believe me? Well, according to a survey of 5,000 flyers across 141 countries, it’s true. Here’s a nice little read on how that could actually be true, from Vox (I met my wife at an airport so it’s a little different): “Bobby adds that because of the hyperemotional state of flyers, it’s not actually that absurd to believe you could meet someone you like. “Since it’s known that people in an elevated physiological state are more likely to perceive others as more attractive … it is actually more likely that two people would develop an attraction for each other on a plane than in other situations,” she says. Laney Gorman, 24, was making her way down the aisle of a flight from San Francisco to Atlanta when she noticed an attractive guy in the seat next to hers. She also heard some squeaking from under the seat and realized he had a puppy.” I mean, he brought a puppy on the flight! Of course she fell in love. New business idea anyone?
Thanks,
Joe Naaman
Managing Editor, Waywinds
Keep Exploring!