Adventure Traveler Stories

It is December 7, 2009. If you, like me, have not yet started shopping for the travel enthusiast in your life (or anyone else), here are a few suggestions I’ve culled together. Some are popular this year, so you might have seen them listed elsewhere. Others might take a little time and planning, but hey – you’ve got 2.5 weeks. All are, naturally, awesome. In no particular order:

For adventure travelers: Gorillapod (and Gorillatorch)
Maybe I live under a rock, but I hadn’t heard of this flexible tripod until a friend mentioned wanting to purchase it for her boyfriend, a budding photographer—I think she started the trend. It’s compatible with point and shoot cameras as well as DSLRs, and there’s no questioning its functionality. This seems to be THE gift to give this year. Buy at joby.com.

For the semi-adventure traveler who really just doesn’t want to be cold: J. Crew Sherpa Puffer Jacket
Amenities: Goosedown. Poly shell. Detachable hood. Standing collar. Zip front with snap closure. Chevron channel quilting. Long sleeves. Pockets lined with polar fleece. Interior drawstring. Fully lined in sherpa. I’m wearing it right now! (Select colors on sale—check in-store, the dove grey is marked down to $99.) Buy at jcrew.com.

For the literati: The Cities Book
I never thought people actually liked coffee table books, but I’ve found myself intrigued by one as of late—Lonely Planet’s The Cities Book. Beautiful photography and tons of information. Buy at Amazon.com.

For the artistic soul: Art! (Make or buy)
My greatest achievement in life has been an arrangement I dubbed “the map wall.” In my first apartment, I had a bunch of framed maps and real and fake antique prints. I’d pick these up in Europe, here, online, wherever. The maps were actually Cavallini wrapping paper. The sheets are large, and look amazing (and expensive) framed. Once you buy the paper or a print, framing can be done pretty quickly if it’s just the frame and plexiglass. (Another idea I like is commissioning a photographer for an image of a loved one’s favorite place or view. I might do that this year, so it’s a good thing my mom doesn’t actually read my blog posts.) Buy at www.cavallini.com/wrap.html.

For actual art constructed by artists, I’d recommend stopping by SFMOMA’s Artists Gallery. For the holidays, select artists are selling miniatures for $95 or less. I picked up a stellar photo by Don Ross of 500 Club, near where I used to live (see my previous post about seeing the beauty in your own familiar surroundings). His other mounted photos were also taken, I believe, in and around San Francisco. See http://www.sfmoma.org/pages/artists_gallery.

For a very lucky person: a trip
This One Day Surf Clinic, held in various locales on the Pacific Coast of Northern California, is perfect for kids, and there are many, many more trips on ekoVenture.com to be found for all ages!

I'm having a bit of an Eat, Pray, Love moment. Actually, one of two, the other being the fact that my idea for a parody book has been usurped and published (and looks like comedic gold). Now, I am unashamed to admit that I have not read the book, despite once having had a woman follow me around Borders trying to get me to buy it (her publisher, maybe?). Anyway, I was talking to one of my friends the other week about wanting to do yoga in some exotic place, like India. Lengthy pause over the line, followed by "You do know that is a third of the plot to Eat, Pray, Love, right?" (I didn't). (OK, are we starting to get the impression that maybe some of my ideas aren't actually all that original?) This got me thinking -- why should I feel the need to go someplace else to delve into my own spiritual practice?

For me, I think the answer itself lies in my surroundings (and this is how you can tell that I have not mastered the control and meditative absorption for which yoga strives). My yoga studio in San Francisco is in the heart of the Mission district, located on a corner that serves as a hub for public transportation, hosts a significant homeless population, and is otherwise loud, kind of dirty, and very, very urban. Yet, by the time you climb the five flights of stairs, you're welcomed into a sanctuary of peace, respite, and utter calm far removed from the city outside. I adore this juxtaposition and the incongruity it creates. In Palo Alto, where I lived for many years, yoga studios have the same components but lack the soul. Instead of floor to ceiling windows gazing out upon a cityscape, you're surrounded by mirrors that scrutinize your every pose. I interpret yoga's goal of mindful awareness as not the act of striving for perfection in your practice, but becoming instead an intelligent thinker, a person conscious of everything around him or her, environment included. I'm attached to the Mission in no small part because of this studio, and I can certainly see how doing yoga in a foreign (or our own) country could create a strong bond with the place. If you're embarking on a similar quest and in search of the appropriate destination, here are my suggestions:

For immediate gratification (or a very generous Christmas gift): Yoga and Wellness in the Caribbean: Christmas - New Year Holiday 2009

The Holy Grail of yoga-abroad trips: Yoga & Meditation Package: 18-Day India Tour

Lastly, if you are me, then you would love: Yoga and Digital Photography One Week Program