The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
@wearetws.bsky.social
We make international travel opportunities accessible to high schoolers from low-income backgrounds, and produce content that embodies our vision of engaged global citizenship.
For updates, follow: https://postcardsfromtws.substack.com
For updates, follow: https://postcardsfromtws.substack.com
Pinned
In case you haven’t noticed, the 1990’s are really having a moment. We’re right in right in the middle of #90sSummer, which is trending as people try to get away from screens and enjoy simple pleasures. Which got us thinking: is it possible to travel like it’s the 90’s? A 🧵
The July Postcard
This month we're indulging in a bit of 90's nostalgia, but not too much
open.substack.com
For those who don’t know (or forgot) what it’s like, we take a trip down memory lane on our Substack and also ask whether some of that nostalgia is a trap. We’re also curious to know where you land. Is there any part of traveling in the 1990s that you’d like to bring back, or try anew?
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
Last week, I and others reported 5+ ICE flights had landed in Ghana since it began taking third-country nationals on Sept. 5.
Now eNCA confirms at least one of those flights held Liberian, Nigerian and Togolese nationals, who were driven to Togo and dumped w/o papers. www.enca.com/news/west-af...
Now eNCA confirms at least one of those flights held Liberian, Nigerian and Togolese nationals, who were driven to Togo and dumped w/o papers. www.enca.com/news/west-af...
West Africans deported by US to Ghana dumped in Togo without papers
West Africans deported by the United States to Ghana are now fending for themselves in Togo after being dumped in the country without documents, lawyers and deportees have told AFP.
www.enca.com
September 29, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Last week, I and others reported 5+ ICE flights had landed in Ghana since it began taking third-country nationals on Sept. 5.
Now eNCA confirms at least one of those flights held Liberian, Nigerian and Togolese nationals, who were driven to Togo and dumped w/o papers. www.enca.com/news/west-af...
Now eNCA confirms at least one of those flights held Liberian, Nigerian and Togolese nationals, who were driven to Togo and dumped w/o papers. www.enca.com/news/west-af...
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
Tourists visiting America:
*Hand over your social media
*At risk of being detained, imprisoned and deported for the vaguest of reasons
*Now being asked to pay $250 for the privilege
Intl tourists contribute more than $200B to the US economy. But lets fix that problem!
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/18/v...
*Hand over your social media
*At risk of being detained, imprisoned and deported for the vaguest of reasons
*Now being asked to pay $250 for the privilege
Intl tourists contribute more than $200B to the US economy. But lets fix that problem!
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/18/v...
Travelers to the U.S. must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' — what to know
Travelers to the U.S. must pay a new "visa integrity fee" to visit, but questions remain as to how and when it will be implemented. Here's what we know so far.
www.cnbc.com
July 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Tourists visiting America:
*Hand over your social media
*At risk of being detained, imprisoned and deported for the vaguest of reasons
*Now being asked to pay $250 for the privilege
Intl tourists contribute more than $200B to the US economy. But lets fix that problem!
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/18/v...
*Hand over your social media
*At risk of being detained, imprisoned and deported for the vaguest of reasons
*Now being asked to pay $250 for the privilege
Intl tourists contribute more than $200B to the US economy. But lets fix that problem!
www.cnbc.com/2025/07/18/v...
A train attendant’s use of both Dutch and French — “goeiemorgen” and “bonjour” — to greet passengers during rush hour last year could easily have gone unnoticed in multilingual Belgium.
But it rubbed one Dutch-speaking commuter the wrong way.
But it rubbed one Dutch-speaking commuter the wrong way.
‘Bonjour’ Sets Off a Linguistic Dispute on a Belgian Train
www.nytimes.com
July 19, 2025 at 10:52 AM
A train attendant’s use of both Dutch and French — “goeiemorgen” and “bonjour” — to greet passengers during rush hour last year could easily have gone unnoticed in multilingual Belgium.
But it rubbed one Dutch-speaking commuter the wrong way.
But it rubbed one Dutch-speaking commuter the wrong way.
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
‘My parents got me out of Soviet Russia at the right time. Should my family now leave the US?’
‘My parents got me out of Soviet Russia at the right time. Should my family now leave the US?’
When he left the Soviet Union for a new life in America, the novelist never imagined he would live under another authoritarian regime. Then Trump got back into power ... Is it time to move again?
www.theguardian.com
July 19, 2025 at 10:43 AM
‘My parents got me out of Soviet Russia at the right time. Should my family now leave the US?’
Alternatively, are there things about traveling in 2025 that you’d never want to give up, no matter what?
open.substack.com/pub/postcard...
open.substack.com/pub/postcard...
For those who don’t know (or forgot) what it’s like, we take a trip down memory lane on our Substack and also ask whether some of that nostalgia is a trap. We’re also curious to know where you land. Is there any part of traveling in the 1990s that you’d like to bring back, or try anew?
In case you haven’t noticed, the 1990’s are really having a moment. We’re right in right in the middle of #90sSummer, which is trending as people try to get away from screens and enjoy simple pleasures. Which got us thinking: is it possible to travel like it’s the 90’s? A 🧵
July 18, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Alternatively, are there things about traveling in 2025 that you’d never want to give up, no matter what?
open.substack.com/pub/postcard...
open.substack.com/pub/postcard...
For those who don’t know (or forgot) what it’s like, we take a trip down memory lane on our Substack and also ask whether some of that nostalgia is a trap. We’re also curious to know where you land. Is there any part of traveling in the 1990s that you’d like to bring back, or try anew?
In case you haven’t noticed, the 1990’s are really having a moment. We’re right in right in the middle of #90sSummer, which is trending as people try to get away from screens and enjoy simple pleasures. Which got us thinking: is it possible to travel like it’s the 90’s? A 🧵
The July Postcard
This month we're indulging in a bit of 90's nostalgia, but not too much
open.substack.com
July 18, 2025 at 5:06 PM
For those who don’t know (or forgot) what it’s like, we take a trip down memory lane on our Substack and also ask whether some of that nostalgia is a trap. We’re also curious to know where you land. Is there any part of traveling in the 1990s that you’d like to bring back, or try anew?
In case you haven’t noticed, the 1990’s are really having a moment. We’re right in right in the middle of #90sSummer, which is trending as people try to get away from screens and enjoy simple pleasures. Which got us thinking: is it possible to travel like it’s the 90’s? A 🧵
The July Postcard
This month we're indulging in a bit of 90's nostalgia, but not too much
open.substack.com
July 18, 2025 at 5:04 PM
In case you haven’t noticed, the 1990’s are really having a moment. We’re right in right in the middle of #90sSummer, which is trending as people try to get away from screens and enjoy simple pleasures. Which got us thinking: is it possible to travel like it’s the 90’s? A 🧵
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents, staff and others in a meeting Sunday morning.
A historic Grand Canyon lodge has been destroyed by wildfire, park official says
The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents, staff and others in a meeting Sunday morning.…
buff.ly
July 13, 2025 at 9:03 PM
The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents, staff and others in a meeting Sunday morning.
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
PhD alum Erika Polson is the author of "A global sense of workplace? rethinking the (dis)locality of digital nomads." journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
A global sense of workplace? rethinking the (dis)locality of digital nomads - Erika Polson, 2025
The growing ‘digital nomad’ movement flourishes amid concerns about the impacts of remote work on workplace culture. This ethnographic study combines a Massey-i...
journals.sagepub.com
July 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
PhD alum Erika Polson is the author of "A global sense of workplace? rethinking the (dis)locality of digital nomads." journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
The U.S. inbound tourism recovery is stalling, not strengthening. June's roughly 3% year-over-year decline masks the real story: overseas arrivals remain stuck at just 80% of 2019 levels, six years after the pandemic.
skift.com/2025/07/09/t...
skift.com/2025/07/09/t...
Tourist Arrivals to U.S. Drop Again – Now Just 80% of 2019 Levels
U.S. overseas tourism remains 20% below 2019 levels; June arrivals fell 3.4% year-over-year amid geopolitical concerns.
skift.com
July 10, 2025 at 8:11 AM
The U.S. inbound tourism recovery is stalling, not strengthening. June's roughly 3% year-over-year decline masks the real story: overseas arrivals remain stuck at just 80% of 2019 levels, six years after the pandemic.
skift.com/2025/07/09/t...
skift.com/2025/07/09/t...
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
A drastic increase in unregulated production of rare earth minerals in Myanmar is causing serious environmental concerns downriver in Thailand, as China's influence in the sector looms large.
In Myanmar, a rush for rare earth metals is causing a regional environmental disaster
A drastic increase in unregulated production of rare earth minerals in Myanmar is causing serious environmental concerns downriver in Thailand, as China's influence in the sector looms large.
n.pr
July 12, 2025 at 4:44 PM
A drastic increase in unregulated production of rare earth minerals in Myanmar is causing serious environmental concerns downriver in Thailand, as China's influence in the sector looms large.
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the years before flood waters swept away children and counselors, a review by AP found. buff.ly/JlzquQZ
Camp Mystic appealed to remove buildings from FEMA's 100-year flood map, records show
Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the…
www.pbs.org
July 12, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain in the years before flood waters swept away children and counselors, a review by AP found. buff.ly/JlzquQZ
As usual the answer is: try to "blend in." That works for some people (what about the ones who *can't,* in racially homogenous places like Estonia?) but also it is cowardly. Why not either speak out against or (more likely, for typical WSJ readers) stand in their support of the admin's policies?
How U.S. Tourists Are Dealing With a New Animosity Overseas — The Wall Street Journal
Travel agents and travelers share their playbook for overseas visits in the face of antipathy toward the U.S.
apple.news
July 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
As usual the answer is: try to "blend in." That works for some people (what about the ones who *can't,* in racially homogenous places like Estonia?) but also it is cowardly. Why not either speak out against or (more likely, for typical WSJ readers) stand in their support of the admin's policies?
Does the modern way of trip planning, which seems to boil down to searching for hotels, restaurants, and major sites on websites rather than leafing through context-rich guidebooks, make it so we know little more than points on a map at our destinations rather than anything about who lives there?
Thinking about this again after coming across influencer talking about their vacation to Belize; for which they "did a ton of research, read so many reviews on Reddit and Trip Advisor," but didn't know until they got there that English was the official language. Would this have happened in the 90s?
There's a lot of content out there about embracing the idea of a 90s summer, which raises an interesting question: what does that look like when it comes to #travel? Is it about using printed guidebooks, maps, and generally going analog as much as possible? Is anyone considering it?
July 4, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Does the modern way of trip planning, which seems to boil down to searching for hotels, restaurants, and major sites on websites rather than leafing through context-rich guidebooks, make it so we know little more than points on a map at our destinations rather than anything about who lives there?
Thinking about this again after coming across influencer talking about their vacation to Belize; for which they "did a ton of research, read so many reviews on Reddit and Trip Advisor," but didn't know until they got there that English was the official language. Would this have happened in the 90s?
There's a lot of content out there about embracing the idea of a 90s summer, which raises an interesting question: what does that look like when it comes to #travel? Is it about using printed guidebooks, maps, and generally going analog as much as possible? Is anyone considering it?
July 4, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Thinking about this again after coming across influencer talking about their vacation to Belize; for which they "did a ton of research, read so many reviews on Reddit and Trip Advisor," but didn't know until they got there that English was the official language. Would this have happened in the 90s?
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
John Yang recently flew to Edmonds to interview me for @pbsnews.org, and we had a wonderful time strolling through my hometown, participating in a little civil disobedience, unearthing my 1977 journal & sharing laughs as he artfully drilled into my travel philosophy.
Got 10 minutes? Check it out!
Got 10 minutes? Check it out!
Why culture shock is a valuable part of ‘thoughtful travel,’ according to Rick Steves
Millions of Americans are expected to go on a European vacation this summer. Many of those going for the first time are likely to be following the advice of travel writer Rick Steves, host of “Rick St...
www.pbs.org
June 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
John Yang recently flew to Edmonds to interview me for @pbsnews.org, and we had a wonderful time strolling through my hometown, participating in a little civil disobedience, unearthing my 1977 journal & sharing laughs as he artfully drilled into my travel philosophy.
Got 10 minutes? Check it out!
Got 10 minutes? Check it out!
"Is [USAID] a good use of resources? We found that the average taxpayer has contributed about 18 cents per day to USAID," says James Macinko, a health policy researcher at UCLA... "For that small amount, we've been able to translate that into saving up to 90 million deaths around the world."
The Trump administration is formally shutting down the United States Agency for International Development today, after cancelling 83% of its programs earlier this year.
Study: 14 million lives could be lost due to Trump aid cuts
www.tpr.org
July 2, 2025 at 7:46 PM
"Is [USAID] a good use of resources? We found that the average taxpayer has contributed about 18 cents per day to USAID," says James Macinko, a health policy researcher at UCLA... "For that small amount, we've been able to translate that into saving up to 90 million deaths around the world."
“[The name] references children of immigrants from ex-colonies. But when we come together, we can create a colony of our own – like ants – to be a nice and powerful force.”
How three young Londoners set out to explore the countries of their parents’ birth – and redefined the travel vlog
‘No resorts, no tourist traps and no fancy restaurants’ – the friends behind the Kids of the Colony YouTube channel go in search of real connections in their countries of origin
www.theguardian.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:24 AM
“[The name] references children of immigrants from ex-colonies. But when we come together, we can create a colony of our own – like ants – to be a nice and powerful force.”
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
HAPPY BOURDAIN DAY!
To celebrate, let's hit the open road with …
ANTHONY BOURDAIN IN LATIN AMERICA
latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/a...
Safe Journeys!
#AnthonyBourdain #BourdainDay #travelogue #TVShow #gastronomy
#travelbloggerscommunity #travelblogshare #traveladdicts
To celebrate, let's hit the open road with …
ANTHONY BOURDAIN IN LATIN AMERICA
latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/a...
Safe Journeys!
#AnthonyBourdain #BourdainDay #travelogue #TVShow #gastronomy
#travelbloggerscommunity #travelblogshare #traveladdicts
ANTHONY BOURDAIN IN LATIN AMERICA
º Anthony (Tony) Bourdain was one of the first chefs that had a travel show. (Well, he had four gastronomy-travel shows in total, all truth be told.) But his world jaunts were not only exploratio…
latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com
June 26, 2025 at 2:07 AM
HAPPY BOURDAIN DAY!
To celebrate, let's hit the open road with …
ANTHONY BOURDAIN IN LATIN AMERICA
latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/a...
Safe Journeys!
#AnthonyBourdain #BourdainDay #travelogue #TVShow #gastronomy
#travelbloggerscommunity #travelblogshare #traveladdicts
To celebrate, let's hit the open road with …
ANTHONY BOURDAIN IN LATIN AMERICA
latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/a...
Safe Journeys!
#AnthonyBourdain #BourdainDay #travelogue #TVShow #gastronomy
#travelbloggerscommunity #travelblogshare #traveladdicts
There's a lot of content out there about embracing the idea of a 90s summer, which raises an interesting question: what does that look like when it comes to #travel? Is it about using printed guidebooks, maps, and generally going analog as much as possible? Is anyone considering it?
June 26, 2025 at 2:15 AM
There's a lot of content out there about embracing the idea of a 90s summer, which raises an interesting question: what does that look like when it comes to #travel? Is it about using printed guidebooks, maps, and generally going analog as much as possible? Is anyone considering it?
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
READ: U.S. citizen and journalist D. Musa Springer was detained, searched, and had his devices seized—for supporting a friend targeted for Palestine activism.
mondoweiss.net/2025/04/my-e...
mondoweiss.net/2025/04/my-e...
‘My experience confirms that US ‘citizens’, especially Black and Muslim ones, are also targets’ - Musa Springer on their unlawful detention
Mondoweiss writer D. Musa Springer was detained, interrogated, and had electronic devices confiscated by DHS agents upon returning from international travel. Here they detail their experience and…
mondoweiss.net
April 21, 2025 at 2:00 AM
READ: U.S. citizen and journalist D. Musa Springer was detained, searched, and had his devices seized—for supporting a friend targeted for Palestine activism.
mondoweiss.net/2025/04/my-e...
mondoweiss.net/2025/04/my-e...
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
Salvadorans share their opinions with CNN after a Maryland man was mistakenly deported from the United States to El Salvador and is currently being held in CECOT, a maximum-security mega-prison.
April 17, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Salvadorans share their opinions with CNN after a Maryland man was mistakenly deported from the United States to El Salvador and is currently being held in CECOT, a maximum-security mega-prison.
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
“The Trump administration is asking us to reimagine America as a country that not only does not value public service but actually torments its public servants,” writes @elainegodfrey.bsky.social :
Federal Workers Are Facing a New Reality
The problem for government employees isn’t just low morale. It’s the manufactured chaos.
bit.ly
April 17, 2025 at 2:00 AM
“The Trump administration is asking us to reimagine America as a country that not only does not value public service but actually torments its public servants,” writes @elainegodfrey.bsky.social :
Reposted by The Wandering Scholar (TWS) ✈️
Greenland documentary forces Danes to confront their colonial heritage
Greenland documentary forces Danes to confront their colonial heritage
As Donald Trump threatens to take over the territory, film claims its cryolite mine was plundered by Denmark
www.theguardian.com
April 13, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Greenland documentary forces Danes to confront their colonial heritage