Experiences

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Sedona, Arizona at night

Belief in Aliens Isn’t Easy to Admit, Even After Seeing One

Do you believe in aliens? I used to answer that question, unequivocally, “No. One hundred percent, no.” I’d add an eye roll for good measure. But that was before I think I saw one. Now, I’m questioning all of my beliefs and assumptions. But, frankly, it’s embarrassing; I don’t want to believe in aliens. I’m a “smart,” educated, rational person. I’m a journalism major and former reporter. I believe in facts, data, proof, and things we can all see, touch, and feel....

Shoshone, Idaho Mammoth Cave

Like Oddities? Visit the Idaho Mammoth Cave

There I was, driving down a long, lonely stretch of Idaho highway somewhere between Twin Falls and Ketchum, listening to an audiobook and eating red licorice when I saw a sign that read “CAVE.” There weren’t any cars behind me, so I slammed on the breaks and pulled off the road. I had a little bit of time to kill, so I made a split-second decision to check it out. Let me back up. It wasn’t so much as a...

Rene Hiking North Table Mountain; Golden, Colorado

Finding Bravery Rappelling Colorado Mountains

Despite being in my mid-forties and embarrassingly out of shape, I learned how to rappel on the North Table Mountain in Colorado. It’s not something I’d typically do, but in a fit of fancy, I booked the overly expensive, non-refundable adventure and chickening out wasn’t an option. Rappelling, also known as abseiling, is a controlled descent from a tall rock face or wall using a rope attached to something at the top. I should mention that I have an extreme...

Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota

Four Amazing Places to See in South Dakota

There are feats of nature and feats of man. Both are found side by side in South Dakota. I don’t know how Mt. Rushmore was conceived, but I imagine a bunch of men gawking at a beautiful mountain and thinking, “Huh, wouldn’t it be cool if we carved some faces there? Do ya think we can get the government to pay for it?” That’s not far from the truth, actually. It was intended to get attention to increase tourism to...

Volcano Boarding for Amateurs and Who Isn’t?

While searching for things to do in Nicaragua, I stumbled upon “Volcano Boarding.” What in the world, I thought, is that? Then I found out first hand. Nicaragua, in Central America, is essentially made up of volcanos. There are over 40, and some are still active. Of course, I chose one of those for volcano boarding in Nicaragua. What is Volcano Boarding? Volcano boarding is like snow sledding with a few key differences, namely the weather and the surface land....

Surfboards on the ground

How I Unexpectedly Learned to Surf in Costa Rica

It was 6:30 a.m. in Costa Rica, and I was struggling to carry my oversized surfboard across a footbridge in the middle of the rain forest. I was slipping in the early morning mud as I slapped at mosquitos large enough to carry a small child. I was in my mid-40s, didn’t know anyone I was with, couldn’t speak the language, and had never surfed before in my life. How, I wondered, did I up here? Technically, we ended up here because of...