Uncornered Market Travel Blog - Travel Wide, Live Deep

Channeling the Spirit of the Marathon: Hope Going Forward

by Audrey Scott

As I struggle to process what happened at the Boston Marathon yesterday, I wonder: “How is it that we humans invest so much energy in our own destruction?”

Then I consider what’s at the heart of the spirit of marathons, and the reasons why crowds of people were gathered at the finish line in the first place. Through this process, I attempt to restore some of my lost hope in humanity, because I believe if we lose that marathon spirit, that’s when we’ve really lost.

Pump your arms, your legs will follow…
— Marathon advice. Life advice?

The Danger Map of the World: Fear vs. Awareness

by Daniel Noll

This is about fear and awareness and how recognizing a distinction between the two can improve your travels…and your life.

At the extremes, we have two choices in life: a) sit back and be afraid of absolutely everything and never leave the couch, or b) proceed recklessly and lean blindly into situations that will likely harm us.

Or, there’s a third way.

New Zealand North Island: Don’t Sell It Short

by Audrey Scott

This is a story about living in someone else's shadow. It's also the beginning of our answer to the question: New Zealand, North Island or South Island?

Imagine a geeky younger boy who grows up in the shadow of his brother, the all-star. The big brother gets all the attention, all the fame. But it's the younger brother with whom you develop a special relationship, who was allowed to surprise you because you spent some time with him.

"Get amongst it!" - Audrey grabs a bit of junglelicious New Zealand rainforest — The New Zealand advice mantra of choice: “Get amongst it!”

Hiking Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand

by Audrey Scott

Hiking at Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island of New Zealand

One minute, you're in the center of the town of Franz Josef, a cafe on one side of you, a pizzeria on the other. Then, within minutes, you are transported to another world. Your helicopter pops up into the air, through jagged mountain crags, just before dropping you into the heart of a glacier, an otherworldly ice field of turquoise blues and glowing whites.

This was Franz Josef Glacier.

10 Life Lessons from Learning How to Surf in New Zealand

by Daniel Noll

This is a story about losing our surfing virginity on the beaches of Raglan, a town on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It’s also about taking a step back to appreciate that learning to surf is a lot like learning to live life itself.

A Tandem Bungy Jump on Valentine’s Day [VIDEO]

by Daniel Noll

Tandem Bungy Jump on Valentine's Day – Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown

I am starting to wonder about you guys. every time you celebrate your ‘love' (V-day, anniversary) you jump off something very high. Please explain.

— A good friend responds to our Valentine’s Day bungy jump, capturing a little problem we seem to have.

So there we were in New Zealand, Valentine’s Day approaching. We find ourselves in Queenstown, the so-called adventure capital of the world where just about any adrenaline-pumping, blood-draining exercise can be found. So we think: What sort of shared experience, that we haven’t done before, can we do together to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Pursue the Precious: A Maori Blessing

by Daniel Noll

Sometimes in life, we find ourselves fortunate enough to be surrounded by so much beauty that we can feel a bit like we are drowning. In these moments, we need a dose of wisdom, an aid in context that allows us to grasp it all at once, to properly honor it, to put it into perspective.

The Hidden Peacock at Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque – Isfahan, Iran

by Daniel Noll

Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque in Esfahan, Iran.

“If you look up, at just the right time, you'll see a peacock on the ceiling,” our guide, Javad, explained as he walked us under the gilded and tiled dome of Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran.

We craned our necks, searching for just the right angle. With the aid of sunlight passing through a nearby window, an image of a peacock — previously unseen, now tail shimmering — was revealed to us brush strokes. Intermittent cries of “Oh!” indicated when everyone in the room “got it.”

Edinburgh Travel Guide: 72-Hours of Stone, Ale and Spirit

by Daniel Noll

Traveling to Edinburgh and wondering: “What is the essence of Edinburgh?” We probably need to write a book to answer that in earnest. But if you visit Edinburgh for 3 days or 72 hours (and ideally more), this Edinburgh travel guide shares what you could see, eat, drink and otherwise experience to help you answer that question for yourself.

Next Up: New Zealand, When I Close My Eyes

by Audrey Scott

This is a story about faraway places and our relationship to the somewheres we dream of visiting. It's also about the fact that we fly to New Zealand next Monday.

Some places on our planet seem to lend themselves to the imagination, that is to the image of the mind, to putting eyes closed and attempting to place yourself somewhere you’ve never been. Think about it: there are endless beautiful places on Earth that evince all manner of beauty, but among them, there are a few special places whose reputation so precedes them.

One of those places: New Zealand.