The Happy Talent - Travel

Photos: Old Town Korcula - A City in Wait

thehappytalent — Thu, 28 May 2015 07:42:00 GMT

I didn't believe humans had auras until I visited Croatia.

Old Town Korcula - A City In Wait

thehappytalent — Wed, 27 May 2015 12:58:09 GMT

In the true spirit of travel, I disembarked the Kapetan Luka ferry one stop before my intended destination of Dubrovnik, Croatia’s “crown jewel.” And found myself, for no particular reason, on the island of – “Wait, what island is this, again?”

“Korcula!”

What can I say? I just had a REALLY good feeling about this place.

My traveler’s intuition was right on!

As a smattering of other passengers dispersed down the curved, narrow alleys of this medieval town, I got the distinct feeling that something was about to happen here – the streets were too empty. Too quiet. A city in wait.

I found my way to an empty, seafront promenade and watched the sunset while my hair whipped in the wind. And then –

BANG! CRASH!

A marching band dressed in blazing orange poured out of an alleyway into the square. All around, huge crowds pushed through the narrow streets and into the promenade. And suddenly, the empty square was alive with fire, music and colors. The smell of Crni Rizot, Fritule and the freshest olive oil I’ve ever tasted filled the air.

But the best sight was the people. Women in elaborate evening gowns! Children in pirate costumes. And – a group of men wearing nothing but diapers, bonnets and pacifiers.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the contrast of their hairy chests against their bibs – until one of them grabbed me by the hand and said, “Come dance with us!”

I’m not normally a dancer – but that night, my arms flailed wildly to the beat of local music. I couldn’t translate the lyrics, but I knew exactly what they meant. As I danced, I shouted to one of the babymen, “What is this?”

“It’s Half New Year’s!” he cried joyously.

When we were too hot to dance anymore, Antonio said he knew a way to cool off. He led me away from the festival, toward the sea. I found myself standing on the city wall.

“This is my favorite spot,” he confided. “Look down.”

The sea was calm below me, and I could see all the way to the bottom in the moonlight. Blues and greens sparkled up at me – a feast of colors I’d never seen before.

“Now jump!”

I looked back at Antonio for a moment. His eyebrows lifted – barely perceptibly. Without counting out loud, we bent our knees and leapt out into the Adriatic in perfect synchrony.

The water was refreshing, but warm. We floated below the stars, sharing stories, sharing silences.

By listening to my intuition and throwing my plans into the wind, I had accidentally stumbled upon the most magical night of my life.

Photos: Warren Lake - Two Casts, Two Keepers

thehappytalent — Sat, 7 Mar 2015 07:38:00 GMT

We hiked ten miles for some of the best fishing in the Sierras.

Photos: Torres del Paine

thehappytalent — Sat, 7 Mar 2015 07:23:00 GMT

Shoulder season. 90 km/hour winds. Speechlessness.

Trekking Poles Will Make Your Life Better... And Your Triceps Sexier.

thehappytalent — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 15:50:00 GMT

Five boyfriends ago, I used to think that walking sticks -- err, trekking poles -- were dorky, overpriced and pointless. I'm not old, so why do I need sticks to help me hike?

But then he invited me on a backpacking trip, and he convinced me not to knock it till I've tried it. So I tried it.

I can admit when I'm wrong. And I was very, very wrong. The trekking polessuper helped. Specifically, they helped me:

Save energy going uphill by allowing my to shift some of the work from my legs to my arms. Even just a few pounds really makes a difference.
Save my knees going downhill. For me, walking downhill has always been more difficult than going uphill. When climbing, I feel this intense,ROOOOOAR! I'm kicking ass! sort of thing. My muscles are burning, and it feels good. Descending just sort of hurts. Probably because I, like most people, think of going downhill as sort of an easy break time -- but it's actually really strengthy. Think about doing a squat. The going down part isn't easier than the going up part. It's just different muscles. It's the same when you're hiking down a hill -- except with hiking, it's easy to just let gravity push you as you passively (or exhaustedly) absorb shock with your joints instead of your muscles. Trekking poles help with that. Trust me -- at the end of the day, your knees will feel better.
Cross creeks and rivers. When you're walking on slippery sticks and rocks and whatever else, and you can't really see exactly what's going on under your feet, and the rushing water is keeping you a little off-balance, you'll be really glad you've got at least one pole for support.

4. Improve my posture. I'm not sure exactly why, but my posture is alwaysbetter when I use trekking poles. Maybe something to do with having my elbows bent at 90-degrees while grasping something that's a fixed height? Or a mindfulness thing? Whatever the reason, I'm glad for it. Especially when I have a heavy pack, and it's so easy to slump or lean forward (which can cause all sorts of body problems). Plus, I think there's a big psychological boost to just owning a hill with a beautiful, upright posture.

5. Catapult myself over puddles. It's a fun way to keep your feet dry without causing erosion. Allow me to demonstrate:

Unleash your inner pole vaulter...

And that was all before I started using my poles properly.

Trekking poles typically have a telescoping design with some sort of locking mechanism. This allows you to adjust the length. Your arms should be bent at about 90-degrees when you walk for maximum power.

They also have wrist straps around the handle. Until a few weeks ago, I wasn't sure what they were for. So you wouldn't drop them? So you can let go of the stick without it falling to the ground when you need your hands?

But then I noticed that the straps on my Leki Trail Antishock Trekking Poles(which I'm linking to because I highly recommend them -- they're light but sturdy, durable, collapsible and very easily adjustable. I've had them for years without any problems, and I'm not even the original owner. But if you're looking for something cheap, try the Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles -- they're nice, light and only $29.99) were adjustable. Butwhy??

After some experimenting, I discovered that you can use wrist straps like a springboard to get even more power out of your arms! It's sort of like how bikers clip their feet into the pedals, which allows them to get power on both the push down and the pull back up.

Adjust them to be loose enough that you can easily get your hands through, but snug enough that you can push against them without changing your grip on the pole. Then, as you're walking (left pole forward with right foot and vice versa),follow through! Even if your body has passed your elbow, keep pushing off the pole until your triceps are fully contracted.

I started doing this, and noticed an immediate effect on my speed and endurance going uphill. Later that day, I also noticed that my triceps felt great. And I developed a hypothesis that any woman who uses trekking poles religiously will end up with Michelle Obama arms.

Or, at the very least, she'll increase her endurance and have happier knees at the end of the day.

Happy hiking!

Travel Hack: Do What You Do At Home While You Travel

thehappytalent — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 15:40:00 GMT

Basketball is probably the best sport known to man, and I've spent way too much (or possibly not enough) of my adult life playing it. There were times when I would be at the courts three hours a night, every weeknight. It's just that great.

They say that you should open your mind and try new things when you travel. And I agree. But I also think that doing what you do at home while you travel is one of the best ways to make new friends and get involved in new communities. I think this because of basketball.

I happened upon a pickup game in Warsaw once, when I heard balls bouncing in a gymnasium I was passing. So I introduced myself to one of the guys, asked if I could get next, and hopped right in. Language barriers didn't matter -- we got sweaty together and had a fun time. We went out for drinks after, and I got into a discussion with one of the men about the Polish word wolność, which means freedom.

"There is a phrase in our national anthem, 'Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła / Kiedy my żyjemy,'" he told me. "It means, 'As long as I am alive, Poland is still fighting.' Because wolność is a very important word to us."

The eagerness and sincerity in his eyes is something I'll never forget. Who knew I'd come to glimpse something so dear to him... because of basketball? Read more >

(Or, if you want to learn more life lessons from basketball, check out What women can learn from Scottie Pippen, the greatest Chicago Bulls player of all time.)

Photos: Yosemite in the Winter

thehappytalent — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 14:31:00 GMT

Make it happen.

Passport & Plate - Aboriginal Bush Dinner

thehappytalent — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 13:42:34 GMT

Ingredients
Damper:
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup powdered milk

Camel (note: in lieu of camel, which isn't available in the States, I've recreated the recipe using sirloin steak)
2 sirlion steaks, cut 2.5-3 inches thick
1/2 cup salt
1 Tb. ground black pepper
1 Tb. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

How to prepare this recipe
Before you begin:

Start a wood fire. I like the traditional, stick-rubbing method, but you'll hear no judgement from me if you use matches or a lighter. We'll be cooking in the embers, which will take about 20-30 minutes to form.

While you wait, begin making your damper. This traditional Australian bread is easy to make -- but, after hunting and gathering in one of the world's harshest climates all day, it will eternally rank among the most flavorful cuisines you've ever tasted.

1. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and powdered milk together in a bowl.
2. Add in the water and mix it into dough. Knead until smooth
3. Shape dough into a round loaf, about 2-3 inches tall.
4. Bury the loaf in the hot ashes under your fire.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes.

While your damper is cooking, prepare your sirloin.

1. Mix salt, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
2. Moisten your hands and work seasoning into the meat. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Place the meat on the ashes, which should be glowing red hot. Turn it after 8 minutes.
4. After both sides have cooked for ~8 minutes each, remove meat from fire. Let it cool on a cutting board for 8-10 minutes before cutting (it'll be juicier that way).

The story behind this recipe
"You see that?" Desmond asks quietly as he adjusts the gun on his shoulder.

Squinting across the red sand, I see a burned out old Jeep. In the middle of the desert. I turn my gaze back to Desmond, and he continues.

"Many years ago, there was a dispute between two brothers over the ownership of that car. When they took their trouble to Mooky -" (he's our medicine man) "- he told them to burn it. So they brought it out here and burned it.

"Because, to us, only two things matter: taking care of family, and taking care of land. The car came between family, so they destroyed it."

I'm moved - but coming from a land of small claims courts and arbitrators, I can't help but ask, "They didn't want to sell it and just split the money?"

He grinds his molars, as he often does when he thinks. Then he answers, "Sometimes, the simplest solution is best."

We continue our hunt in silence - after all, hunting works better when you're quiet. But, more important, living and working with the Martu has taught me something. I have one summer to do research in the Great Sandy Desert. I have one summer to sleep under unfamiliar stars every night - and, sometimes, wake to scorpions under my sleeping bag in the morning. I have one summer to hear dreamtime stories, to learn from elders who can recall the first time they saw a white person. Their culture is alive, and it is changing fast.

I have the rest of my life to talk. Now is the time to listen.

Our silence ends when we spy a small herd of camels. Desmond aims at the weakest and shoots. We light a fire so the others can find us and help carry the meat back to camp.

Desmond doesn't talk much that night. He is thinking about the life he took. I pull my damper and camel from the fire, put it on my plate, and brush off the ashes - then moan with pleasure when I take my first bite. I've had $100 souffles in Paris and fancy gelatos in Italy. But nothing could ever compare to this.

Because sometimes, the simplest solution is best.